Legal Definitions - York, Statute of

The Statute of York was an important piece of English legislation enacted in the city of York during the twelfth year of King Edward II's reign, specifically around 1318-1319. This historical statute introduced significant provisions aimed at improving legal procedures and the administration of justice in medieval England.

Key areas addressed by the Statute of York included:

• Attorneys: It established clearer rules regarding the appointment and conduct of legal representatives, ensuring that individuals could be properly represented in court.
• Witnesses: The statute included regulations concerning how witnesses should provide testimony, aiming to bring more order and fairness to legal proceedings.
• Inquests by Nisi Prius: A particularly impactful provision concerned the method of taking "inquests" (local investigations or trials, often involving juries). The nisi prius system allowed royal judges to travel to various counties to hear cases locally, rather than requiring all parties and witnesses to journey to the central courts in Westminster. This made justice more accessible and efficient for people across England, as cases would be heard locally "unless" a judge had already come to the county before the central court date.

Examples:

• Imagine a dispute in 14th-century England where a guild master is suing a journeyman over unpaid debts. Before the Statute of York, the procedures for how the guild master could formally appoint someone to speak on his behalf, or how witnesses for either side would present their evidence, might have been inconsistent across different local courts. After the statute, if the guild master chose to be represented by an attorney, the rules governing that attorney's role and authority would be more standardized. Similarly, any witnesses called to testify would do so under clearer guidelines established by the statute, contributing to a more predictable and orderly trial process.

• Consider a small village in Cornwall, far from London, where two landowners are locked in a complex boundary dispute. Prior to the nisi prius provisions of the Statute of York, both landowners, along with their local witnesses and any relevant documents, would likely have been compelled to travel all the way to Westminster to have their case heard by a royal judge. This journey would have been arduous, expensive, and potentially impossible for many. With the Statute of York, the nisi prius system meant that a royal judge would periodically visit Cornwall. This allowed the landowners' "inquest" (local trial) to be conducted much closer to home, significantly reducing the burden and making royal justice practically available to people in distant regions.