Legal Definitions - de seisina habenda

Definition: De seisina habenda is a legal term that means "of holding seisin." It refers to a writ that orders the sovereign to deliver seisin (possession) of lands and tenements to a lord after holding them for a year and a day because the lord's tenant committed a felony.

Example: If a tenant of a lord committed a felony, the lord could not immediately take possession of the lands and tenements. Instead, the lord had to wait for a year and a day before requesting a writ of de seisina habenda to regain possession.

Explanation: This example illustrates how the writ of de seisina habenda was used to allow a lord to regain possession of lands and tenements after a tenant committed a felony. The writ ensured that the lord did not take possession of the property immediately, but instead waited for a year and a day before requesting the writ. This gave the tenant time to make amends or for the lord to find a new tenant.