Legal Definitions - leproso amovendo

Leproso amovendo refers to a historical legal writ or order issued to compel the removal of an individual diagnosed with leprosy from public assemblies or common spaces. This measure was typically enacted during periods when there was a widespread fear of contagion and limited understanding of disease transmission, aiming to prevent perceived spread of the illness and maintain public order.

Here are some examples illustrating the application of a leproso amovendo:

• Imagine a medieval English village where a crucial town council meeting is scheduled to discuss the annual harvest and local taxes. A respected elder, recently diagnosed with leprosy, attempts to take his usual seat among the other council members. Fearing the spread of the disease among the gathered officials and citizens, the local magistrate or lord of the manor could have sought a leproso amovendo. This writ would legally authorize the elder's removal from the public meeting, ensuring he could not participate in the assembly due to his condition.

• Consider a bustling Sunday service in a 14th-century cathedral, a central hub for community life and worship. A person known to have leprosy enters and attempts to join the congregation for mass. Given the prevailing societal fears and the lack of medical understanding, the church warden or a local official, acting on behalf of public health and order, might have petitioned for a leproso amovendo. This legal instrument would then mandate the individual's removal from the church, preventing their presence in such a significant public gathering.