Simple English definitions for legal terms
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Entry in Casu Consimili: A legal term that refers to a writ of entry allowing someone who has a future interest in land to sue for the return of the land that has been sold or given away by a life tenant or a tenant by the curtesy. This writ was created in the 13th century and is based on the principle that if a similar case has been resolved before, then a similar writ can be issued to resolve the current case.
Definition: Entry in casu consimili is a Latin term that means "in a like case." It refers to a writ of entry that allows a person with a reversionary interest in land to sue for the return of land that has been alienated by a life tenant or a tenant by the curtesy.
Example: Suppose that John owns a piece of land, but he has granted a life estate to Mary. Mary then sells the land to Jane. When Mary dies, John wants to regain possession of the land. He can use the entry in casu consimili writ to sue Jane for the return of the land.
This writ was created by the second Statute of Westminster in 1285. The statute required the Chancery to issue a writ for any situation that called for a writ similar to one that had previously issued consimili casu ("in a like case"). This allowed litigants to have access to a wider range of writs to resolve their disputes.