Legal Definitions - time immemorial

Definition: Time immemorial refers to a point in time that is so far back that no living person has knowledge or proof contradicting the right or custom alleged to have existed since then. It can also refer to a point in time beyond which legal memory cannot go.

Examples:

• According to common law, time immemorial was fixed as the year 1189, which was the year that Henry II of England died. This means that any right or custom that has been in existence since that time is considered valid and cannot be challenged.
• In some cultures, certain traditions or practices have been passed down from generation to generation for so long that they are considered to have existed since time immemorial.

The examples illustrate that time immemorial is a concept used to establish the validity of certain rights or customs that have been in existence for a very long time. It is a way of acknowledging the importance of tradition and history in shaping our present-day society.