Simple English definitions for legal terms
Read a random definition: noncumulative voting
Byrlaw Court: A long time ago in Scotland, there was a special group of people called byrlawmen or birleymen who would help settle small arguments or problems that happened in the community. They would gather together in a place called the byrlaw court and listen to both sides of the story before making a decision on what to do. It was like a small court for everyday problems.
Definition: Byrlaw court was a community assembly in Scottish law that dealt with minor disputes within the community. The members of the assembly were known as byrlawmen or birleymen. It was also spelled as burlaw court.
Example: In a small Scottish village, a dispute arose between two neighbors over a boundary fence. They took the matter to the byrlaw court, where the byrlawmen listened to both sides and made a decision on the matter.
Explanation: The example illustrates how the byrlaw court was used to resolve minor disputes within a community. The byrlawmen acted as judges and listened to both sides before making a decision. This helped to maintain peace and order within the community.