Legal Definitions - instrumenta noviter reperta

INSTRUMENTA NOVITER REPERTA

Instrumenta noviter reperta is a Latin term used in legal history to refer to newly discovered instruments or documents. It is often used in the context of altering a decree based on new evidence.

If a court case had already been decided and a new document was discovered that could change the outcome of the case, the party affected by the new evidence could use the term instrumenta noviter reperta to argue for a change in the decision.

For example, if a will was discovered after a court had already distributed an estate, the beneficiaries of the newly discovered will could use instrumenta noviter reperta to argue for a change in the distribution of assets.

These examples illustrate how the term instrumenta noviter reperta is used in legal history to refer to newly discovered evidence that could change the outcome of a case or alter a decree.