Legal Definitions - officina brevium

The term officina brevium is a historical Latin phrase that translates to "workshop of writs." It refers to a specific administrative office or department within a court system, particularly prominent in medieval England. This office was responsible for the crucial task of preparing, sealing, and issuing various types of legal documents known as "writs." Writs were formal written commands or orders from a sovereign or court, essential for initiating legal proceedings, compelling specific actions, or enforcing judgments. Essentially, the officina brevium served as the central hub where the foundational legal paperwork necessary for the administration of justice was created and dispatched.

• Example 1: Initiating a Land Dispute

  Imagine a landowner in 13th-century England whose property has been encroached upon by a neighbor. To formally begin a legal challenge to reclaim their land, the landowner would need a specific type of writ, such as a "writ of novel disseisin." The landowner or their representative would approach the officina brevium, which would then draft and issue this official writ, authorizing the sheriff to investigate the claim and bring the matter before the royal court. This demonstrates the officina brevium's role in providing the necessary legal instrument to initiate a civil action.

• Example 2: Summoning a Jury for Trial

  When a criminal case was ready for trial, and a jury was required, the court could not simply call people off the street. A formal command was needed. The officina brevium would be responsible for preparing and issuing a "writ of venire facias," which was a command directed to the sheriff, instructing them to summon a specific number of eligible jurors to appear in court on a designated date. This illustrates the office's function in facilitating the procedural aspects of judicial proceedings by generating the necessary official summonses.

• Example 3: Enforcing a Debt Judgment

  Suppose a merchant had successfully sued a debtor and obtained a judgment for an unpaid sum. To enforce this judgment and recover the money, the merchant would typically need a "writ of fieri facias," which authorized the sheriff to seize the debtor's goods to satisfy the debt. The officina brevium would be the administrative body that prepared and issued this writ, transforming the court's decision into an actionable legal command for enforcement. This highlights its role in the execution phase of legal processes.