Legal Definitions - assise

Assise is an archaic legal term, an older spelling of "assize," primarily referring to historical legal proceedings, statutes, or judicial assemblies. It encompasses several meanings from medieval legal practice, including:

• A formal session of a court, often presided over by itinerant judges who traveled to administer justice in different regions.
• A specific type of legal inquiry or trial, particularly one involving a jury to determine facts or rights.
• A statute or ordinance, especially one that regulated weights, measures, or prices of goods to ensure fairness in markets.

Here are some examples illustrating the use of "assise":

• Imagine a historical drama set in 12th-century England. The local sheriff announces that royal judges will soon arrive to hold an assise in the county town. During this judicial session, they will hear a variety of cases, from land disputes to serious criminal charges, bringing the King's justice directly to the people.

  This example illustrates "assise" as a formal court session or judicial assembly where judges convene to administer law and resolve disputes.

• A historian researching medieval urban life might discover a document detailing the "assise of ale" in a bustling market town. This particular decree stipulated the maximum price and minimum quality for ale sold by local brewers, aiming to protect consumers from unfair practices and ensure a consistent standard for this common beverage.

  Here, "assise" refers to a specific statute or ordinance, in this case, a regulation designed to control the price and quality of goods sold in a market.

• In a legal textbook discussing the origins of property law, there might be a reference to the "assise of mort d'ancestor." This was a specific legal action available to an heir whose ancestor had died, allowing them to claim possession of land that had been wrongfully withheld from them, with a jury determining the facts of the inheritance.

  This demonstrates "assise" as a particular type of legal inquiry or trial, often involving a jury, used to resolve specific claims, such as those related to land inheritance.