Legal Definitions - darrein continuance

Darrein continuance refers to every plea of a new matter after the last entry of a plea on the record. It was a term used in history and every entry of a pleading after the first pleading on the record was called a continuance. The term comes from the French phrase "dernier continuance" which means "the last continuance". It is also spelled as dareyne continuance.

Example 1: In a court case, the defendant may file a darrein continuance if they have new evidence to present after the last plea was entered on the record.

Example 2: A lawyer may file a darrein continuance if they need more time to prepare their case after the last plea was entered on the record.

These examples illustrate how darrein continuance was used in legal proceedings to introduce new matters or to request more time to prepare a case after the last plea was entered on the record.