Legal Definitions - approver

An approver is a person who serves two different roles in history:

1. Someone who offers proof, especially a criminal who confesses and testifies against one or more accomplices. This is also known as a "relative confession" and is related to the concept of confession in legal proceedings.
2. An agent or bailiff, particularly someone who manages a farm or estate for another person.

For example, in medieval times, an approver might be a criminal who confessed to a crime and then testified against their accomplices in order to receive a lighter sentence. This was a common practice in the legal system of the time.

Alternatively, an approver might be someone who was hired to manage a large estate or farm for a wealthy landowner. This person would be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the property and ensuring that everything ran smoothly.

These examples illustrate the two different meanings of the term "approver" and show how it has been used in different contexts throughout history.