Legal Definitions - letters close

The term letters close refers to a historical type of royal or governmental document that was folded and sealed, making its contents private and intended only for the specific recipient(s). Unlike "letters patent" (which were open and public declarations), letters close contained confidential instructions, commands, or grants that were not meant for general public knowledge. The term emphasizes the sealed, private nature of the communication, ensuring its contents remained secret from the general populace.

• Example 1: Historical Royal Command

  Imagine a scenario in 14th-century England where the King needed to secretly prepare for a potential invasion. He might send a letter close to a specific Earl, instructing him to quietly begin mustering his feudal levies and to fortify his castle, but to keep these preparations absolutely confidential from neighboring lords and the general public until a formal declaration was made.

  This illustrates letters close because the document is a private, sealed communication from the sovereign, containing specific, confidential instructions for a particular individual. The "close" nature ensures the secrecy of the military preparations, preventing premature disclosure that could alert an enemy or cause public panic.

• Example 2: Modern Governmental Directive (Conceptual Analogy)

  Consider a modern government agency that needs to issue a highly sensitive directive to the head of a specific intelligence unit, outlining a new, classified protocol for handling a particular type of national security threat. This directive is marked "Eyes Only," delivered in a sealed, tamper-evident envelope, and requires a signature upon receipt, with strict instructions against sharing its contents outside the designated recipient.

  While not literally "letters close" in the historical sense, this scenario conceptually mirrors the term. It represents a private, restricted communication from a higher authority to a specific recipient, containing instructions that are not for public consumption. The "closed" or confidential nature of the information is paramount, much like the historical letters close.

• Example 3: Confidential Legal Order (Conceptual Analogy)

  A court issues a sealed order to a financial institution, compelling them to freeze a specific bank account belonging to an individual under investigation for financial crimes. The order explicitly instructs the institution not to disclose this action to the account holder or any third party until a specific future date or further court instruction, to prevent the destruction of evidence or flight.

  This example demonstrates the principle of letters close by showing a formal, authoritative communication that is sealed and directed to a specific party (the bank) with confidential instructions. The "closed" nature of the order ensures that the information remains private and undisclosed to the affected individual until the appropriate legal moment, preventing interference with the investigation, much like how historical letters close maintained secrecy.