Legal Definitions - bann

The term bann is a historical legal concept referring to two related ideas:

• First, it describes the power or authority held by a court or ruler to issue official commands or prohibitions. This power was particularly significant when used to maintain public order and peace within a specific territory or jurisdiction.

• Second, bann also refers to the actual official command or prohibition that was issued using this authority.

Here are some examples illustrating the historical application of bann:

• Imagine a medieval king, concerned about widespread banditry disrupting trade routes. He might issue a royal bann, a formal decree forbidding all unauthorized armed groups from operating within his kingdom and commanding his sheriffs to apprehend anyone violating this order. In this scenario, the king's inherent authority to enforce peace is the power of the bann, and the specific decree itself, outlawing banditry, is the edict or the bann.

• Consider a local lord's court in a historical context. If two prominent families in the region were engaged in a violent feud, threatening the stability of the community, the lord's court might possess the power to declare a "King's Peace" or a "Lord's Peace." The formal proclamation demanding an immediate cessation of hostilities and threatening severe penalties for non-compliance would be the bann. This demonstrates both the court's authority to intervene and the specific command issued to restore order.

• During a period of widespread famine, a powerful duke might issue a bann prohibiting the hoarding or export of grain from his lands, aiming to ensure food security for his populace and prevent social unrest. The duke's sovereign right to govern and protect his people represents the power of the bann, while the specific order restricting grain movement is the edict itself, designed to maintain public peace and prevent starvation-induced chaos.