Legal Definitions - cessure

Definition: Cessure refers to the termination of a right or interest. It is usually used in reference to long terms of years created by a settlement for the purpose of securing portions, etc., given to the objects of the settlement. In such cases, it was usual to introduce a proviso that the term should cease when the trusts thereof were satisfied (as, for example, on the death of the annuitant where the term was created to secure an annuity).

Examples:

• A proviso of cesser is usually annexed to long terms, raised by mortgage, marriage settlement, or annuity, whereby the term is declared to be determinable on the happening of a certain event; and until the event provided for in the declaration of cesser has occurred, the term continues.
• The cesser of a term, annuity or the like takes place when it determines or comes to an end.

The examples illustrate that cessure is used to describe the termination of a right or interest, especially in cases where a proviso for cesser is introduced to determine when the term should cease. This is usually done in long terms of years created by a settlement for the purpose of securing portions, etc., given to the objects of the settlement.