Legal Definitions - plenarty

Plenarty refers to the condition of an office, position, or benefice being lawfully and fully occupied by an incumbent or qualified individual. Historically, this term was most commonly used in ecclesiastical law to describe a church office that was not vacant but was held by an appointed cleric.

• Example 1 (Historical Church Context): Imagine a medieval parish where the position of vicar has been empty for several months after the previous vicar passed away. The bishop then formally appoints a new cleric to fill the role. Once the new vicar is lawfully installed and begins their duties, the state of that vicarage is described as plenarty.

  Explanation: This illustrates plenarty because the church office, which was previously vacant, is now lawfully occupied by an appointed individual, making it "full."

• Example 2 (Governmental Office Context): Consider a newly created judicial position in a court system. For a period, this seat remains vacant until the governor, following the proper legal procedures, appoints a qualified judge to fill it. From the moment the judge is sworn in and assumes their duties, that specific judicial seat is in a state of plenarty.

  Explanation: Here, plenarty describes the condition of a governmental office being lawfully filled by an appointed official, signifying it is no longer empty.

• Example 3 (Organizational Leadership Context): A non-profit organization has a board of trustees with a fixed number of seats. After a period where one of the trustees resigned, leaving a vacancy, the board conducts an election and successfully appoints a new member to fill the open spot. Once the new trustee is officially seated, the board achieves plenarty, meaning all its designated positions are now occupied.

  Explanation: This example demonstrates plenarty as the state where all designated positions within an organizational structure are lawfully occupied, ensuring the body is fully constituted.