Legal Definitions - noctanter

Noctanter is a legal term that means "by night." It was used in the past to refer to a chancery writ that was issued to a sheriff to start the process of recovering damages for destroying a ditch or hedge. If someone destroyed a ditch or hedge, the neighboring villagers were held responsible for the damages unless they reported the offender.

• If someone destroyed a ditch or hedge at night, the sheriff would issue a noctanter to start the legal process of recovering damages.
• The villagers were responsible for reporting the offender or they would be held liable for the damages.

These examples illustrate how the term noctanter was used in the past to hold people accountable for damages caused by the destruction of a ditch or hedge. It was a way to ensure that people were responsible for their actions and that justice was served.