Legal Definitions - petition de droit

A petition de droit is a legal term that refers to a type of petition that can be made by a subject to claim that a debt is owed by the Crown or that the Crown has broken a contract or wrongfully detained the subject's property. This type of petition is addressed directly to the Crown, but the courts adjudicate the claim just as in an action between private parties.

For example, if a subject believes that the Crown has wrongfully taken their property, they can file a petition de droit to claim that the Crown has breached their rights. The court will then hear the case and make a decision based on the evidence presented.

The term "petition of right" is sometimes used interchangeably with "petition de droit." It is also important to note that the Petition of Right is one of the four great charters of English liberty, which established that no man should be compelled to make or yield any gift, loan, benevolence, tax, or such like charge, without common consent by act of parliament.