Legal Definitions - Liber Assisarum

Liber Assisarum refers to a historical collection of legal cases and decisions that originated from local courts and judicial sessions, particularly those known as "assizes," held throughout the English countryside. It served as a record of legal proceedings and judgments from trials conducted outside the central royal courts. Specifically, it constituted the fourth volume of legal reports compiled during the reign of King Edward III in medieval England.

• Imagine a dispute in 14th-century Yorkshire where two landowners, Sir Reginald and Lady Eleanor, claim ownership of the same stretch of meadow. When the King's justices arrived in Yorkshire for an assize session, they heard arguments from both parties, examined local customs, and ultimately issued a judgment. The details of this specific land dispute, the legal arguments presented, and the final decision would have been among the types of cases recorded in the Liber Assisarum, providing a precedent or a record of how such matters were handled locally.

  This example illustrates how the Liber Assisarum collected cases from "assizes" (the judicial session) and "country trials" (in Yorkshire), specifically a civil dispute over land.

• Consider a situation in Kent where a local farmer was accused of stealing livestock. The case would have been brought before the justices during their circuit through the county. The trial, including the evidence presented, the arguments made by the accuser and the accused, and the verdict reached by the local jury, would have been documented. This record of a criminal trial from a regional court would be precisely the kind of content found within the Liber Assisarum, showcasing the practical application of law in the shires.

  This example highlights a criminal case from a "country trial" and how its proceedings would be part of the collection, demonstrating the diverse types of cases included.

• During an assize session in Cornwall, a complex procedural question arose regarding the proper way to summon witnesses in a particular type of debt case. The presiding judge made a ruling on this procedural point, establishing a guideline for future similar cases in that circuit. This ruling, though not a final judgment on a specific dispute, was a significant legal development from a local court. Such a procedural clarification, emerging from a "country trial," would have been deemed important enough to be included in the Liber Assisarum, contributing to the body of common law.

  This demonstrates that the Liber Assisarum wasn't just about final judgments but also important legal rulings and procedural developments from local courts, further defining "cases arising in assizes and other country trials."