Legal Definitions - rier county

The term "rier county" is an archaic legal term that refers to rere-county. It is not an acronym.

A rere-county was a second or subsequent session of a county court or assembly in historical English legal and administrative practice. It was typically convened after the initial, main county court session (often called the "shire moot") to address specific outstanding matters, collect unpaid fines, ensure attendance of those who missed the primary session, or complete business that could not be resolved during the first gathering.

Here are some examples to illustrate this concept:

• Example 1: Collecting Unpaid Fines

  Imagine a sheriff in 14th-century England who has just concluded the main county court session. Many individuals were fined for minor offenses but failed to pay on the spot. To ensure these fines were collected and justice was fully administered, the sheriff might issue a summons for a rere-county to be held a few weeks later. This subsequent session would specifically focus on compelling the attendance of the defaulters and collecting the outstanding payments.

  This example illustrates how a rere-county served as a follow-up mechanism to enforce compliance and complete financial obligations that were not settled during the primary court proceedings.

• Example 2: Ensuring Fealty and Military Service

  During a period of political instability, a king's representative might order a general assembly of all landowners and knights in a particular shire to swear an oath of fealty and confirm their readiness for military service. If some prominent individuals failed to attend this initial, crucial gathering, a rere-county could be specifically called to ensure these absent parties appeared, took their oaths, and acknowledged their obligations to the crown.

  Here, the rere-county functions as a supplementary assembly designed to ensure full participation and compliance with critical administrative and military directives that were not fully achieved in the initial, broader county meeting.

• Example 3: Resolving Unfinished Legal Disputes

  Consider a scenario where the main county court session was overwhelmed with numerous land disputes and other complex legal petitions. Due to time constraints, some cases might have been postponed or left unresolved. To prevent a backlog of justice, a rere-county could be scheduled shortly thereafter, exclusively dedicated to hearing and settling these remaining property claims and other outstanding legal matters, ensuring that all petitioners eventually received a hearing.

  This demonstrates the rere-county as a dedicated follow-up session to clear a backlog of specific legal cases that could not be adequately addressed during the general proceedings of the main county court.