Legal Definitions - assise

Definition: Assise refers to a session of a court or council. It can also refer to a law enacted by such a body, usually one setting the measure, weight, or price of a thing.

For example, the Assize of Arms was an 1181 statute requiring every man to keep arms suitable to his station in life. Another example is the Assize of Clarendon, which was a decree issued in 1166 by Henry II to the justices in eyre and sheriffs concerning criminal procedure. This Assize expanded the reach of the king's courts by asserting royal jurisdiction over serious crimes.

Assise can also refer to a jury trial. For instance, the assize of mort d'ancestor was an action for the recovery of land belonging to the claimant's ancestor.

Overall, assise refers to the legal procedures and enactments of a court or council, as well as the court that hears cases involving those procedures.