Simple English definitions for legal terms
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Chancellor's Foot: A way to describe how fair and equal justice can be different depending on who is in charge. It's like using the Chancellor's foot as a ruler - some Chancellors have big feet, some have small feet, and some have feet that are just okay. This means that what is considered fair and just can change depending on who is making the decision.
Chancellor's foot is a term used to describe the variability of equitable justice. It means that the fairness of a decision depends on the conscience of the Chancellor, who is the judge. The phrase was coined by John Selden, a 17th-century jurist.
For example, if two people have a dispute and go to court, the judge may use equitable justice to make a decision. However, the decision may not be the same if a different judge, who has a different conscience, hears the case. This is because the Chancellor's foot is an uncertain measure, just like the length of a person's foot can vary.
In other words, the Chancellor's foot symbolizes the subjectivity of equitable justice and how it can vary from judge to judge.