Legal Definitions - vi laica amovenda

Definition: Vi laica amovenda is a legal term that refers to a writ that allows a parson to claim rights to a church and order a sheriff to remove a group of laymen who have taken control of the church and prevented the new parson from entering.

Example: If a new parson is appointed to a church, but a group of laymen, along with another parson, have taken control of the church and are preventing the new parson from entering, the new parson can use the writ of vi laica amovenda to order the sheriff to remove the laymen and allow the new parson to take control of the church.

This writ was commonly used in medieval England when disputes arose over the control of churches. It allowed the rightful parson to regain control of the church and carry out their duties without interference from laymen or other clergymen.