Legal Definitions - time out of memory

Definition: Time out of memory 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 legal systems, there is a concept of legal memory, which refers to a point in time beyond which legal records and evidence are no longer available. This means that any right or custom that existed before that point in time cannot be proven or challenged.
• When we say that something happened "time out of mind," we mean that it happened a very long time ago, beyond the reach of human memory or record-keeping.

These examples illustrate the concept of time out of memory by showing how it is used in different contexts. In the first example, it is used to establish the validity of a right or custom. In the second example, it is used to set a limit on legal evidence. In the third example, it is used to describe a time period that is beyond human memory or record-keeping.