Legal Definitions - clerico convicto commisso gaolae in defectu ordinarii deliberando

Definition: A legal term in Latin that means "for delivering a cleric convicted and committed to gaol in defect of his ordinary." It refers to a writ that orders the delivery of a clerk to a superior after the clerk was convicted of a felony, without the superior questioning the clerk's right to claim benefit of clergy.

Example: If a priest was convicted of a crime and sent to jail, this writ would be used to deliver the priest to his bishop or other superior, without the bishop questioning the priest's right to claim benefit of clergy.

Explanation: This writ was used in medieval England to ensure that clerics who were convicted of crimes were still subject to the authority of their superiors in the Church. It allowed the Church to maintain control over its members, even if they had committed crimes that would normally be punished by the secular authorities.