Simple English definitions for legal terms
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Backing is when someone in authority, like a judge or magistrate, signs the back of a legal document to show their approval or endorsement. This is especially important for warrants, which are legal orders that allow the police to take action. If a warrant is issued in one county but needs to be executed in another, it must be "backed" by a magistrate in the second county to make it valid. This practice has been around for a long time and is now allowed by law.
Definition: Backing refers to an endorsement, especially of a warrant by a magistrate.
When a magistrate signs a warrant issued in one county to permit its execution in another county, it is called backing. This endorsement indicates that the warrant is valid and can be executed in the signing magistrate's county. In the past, a fresh warrant was required for every fresh county, but now the practice of backing warrants is commonly observed and is sanctioned by law.
These examples illustrate how a magistrate endorses a warrant by signing it, indicating that it is valid and can be executed in another county. This process is called backing.