Legal Definitions - rere-county

A rere-county was a historical English court session, secondary to the main county court. It was convened by the sheriff and typically held on the day immediately following the primary county court session to address any remaining or follow-up legal matters.

Here are some examples to illustrate this historical legal concept:

• Imagine a sheriff in 14th-century England presiding over a bustling main county court. This primary session was filled with serious land disputes, criminal accusations, and major debt cases. By the end of the day, there were still several minor disputes, such as disagreements over stray livestock or small unpaid debts, that hadn't been heard due to time constraints. To ensure all citizens had their day in court and to efficiently clear the docket, the sheriff would announce a rere-county session for the following morning. This allowed the less urgent matters to be addressed promptly without delaying the more significant cases of the main court.

  This example illustrates how the rere-county served as a practical, subsidiary court for handling a backlog of minor cases that could not be completed during the main, more formal county court session.

• Consider a scenario where a crucial witness for a minor property dispute arrived late on the day of the main county court, after all relevant cases had seemingly concluded. Rather than making the parties involved wait until the next monthly county court session, the sheriff, recognizing the need for timely resolution, could convene a rere-county session the very next day. This allowed the witness to testify and the dispute to be resolved promptly, preventing undue delay for the litigants.

  This demonstrates the rere-county's flexibility and practical purpose in addressing immediate follow-up needs or unforeseen circumstances that arose right after the main court, ensuring justice was not unduly postponed.

• During a particularly busy month, the regular county court in a medieval English shire might have been overwhelmed with administrative tasks, such as recording new land transfers, confirming wills, or registering new freemen, in addition to its judicial duties. If these administrative matters were not fully processed during the main court session, the sheriff might hold a rere-county session the next day specifically to finalize these records and ensure all official business was properly documented. This allowed the main court to focus on its primary judicial functions without being bogged down by administrative details.

  This example shows how the rere-county could function as a dedicated follow-up session for administrative or less contentious legal tasks that were deferred from the main court due to time constraints, ensuring all official business was completed efficiently.