Legal Definitions - breviate

A breviate refers to a concise summary or abstract of a longer document, designed to provide a quick overview of its main points and contents. Historically, this term was often used in legal and legislative contexts to condense extensive writings into a shorter, more manageable form.

• Example 1: Historical Legal Research
  Imagine a legal historian researching the land ownership records of a specific region from the 18th century. Many of these records, such as deeds and wills, are extremely lengthy and written in archaic language. To efficiently analyze the vast amount of information, the historian creates a breviate for each significant document. This summary would include the names of the parties involved, the property description, the date of the transaction, and any key conditions or stipulations.

  This example illustrates a breviate as a tool for summarizing complex historical legal documents, allowing researchers to quickly grasp essential information without having to read every detail of the original verbose text.

• Example 2: Legislative Review Process
  In a modern legislative body, when a new bill is introduced, it can often span hundreds of pages, detailing various clauses, amendments, and legal implications. Before a committee hearing or a full floor vote, legislative analysts might prepare a breviate for each bill. This concise statement would outline the bill's primary purpose, its most significant provisions, the departments it affects, and its projected financial impact, enabling lawmakers to quickly understand the core elements.

  Here, the breviate serves as a practical summary for busy legislators, allowing them to efficiently review the critical aspects of a proposed law without needing to read the entire extensive document.

• Example 3: Ancient Treaty Analysis
  Consider a diplomat in the 19th century tasked with reviewing a collection of old international treaties between various nations. These treaties were often drafted with elaborate language and numerous articles. To prepare for new negotiations, the diplomat would commission clerks to create a breviate for each treaty. Each summary would highlight the signatory parties, the key agreements made, the territories involved, and any specific obligations or rights established by the treaty.

  This scenario demonstrates a breviate's use in distilling lengthy and complex international agreements into a digestible format, providing a quick reference for understanding historical diplomatic commitments.