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Simple English definitions for legal terms
liege
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A quick definition of liege:
Liege is a word that was used a long time ago in history. It means that someone was loyal and faithful to a powerful person, like a king or queen. Sometimes, people were even bound to serve and obey this powerful person because of their position in society. A liege person was like a very loyal friend who would do anything to help their powerful friend. There were even special ceremonies, like liege homage, where one powerful person would show their loyalty to another powerful person. In Scotland, there was a special term called "liege poustie" which meant that someone had the power to give away their property when they were healthy and not about to die.
A more thorough explanation:
Liege is a historical term that has three different meanings:
- Someone who owes feudal allegiance and service to a lord paramount.
- A loyal subject of a monarch or other sovereign.
- A feudal lord who is entitled to allegiance and service; a sovereign or superior lord.
For example, in medieval times, a knight would be a liege of the king, meaning that he owed loyalty and service to the king in exchange for land and protection.
Another example is when one sovereign pays homage to another, including pledges of loyalty and services. This is called liege homage.
Finally, in Scots law, liege poustie refers to the lawful power of one in good health to dispose of heritable property. This means that a person who is in good health has the power to give away their property as they wish, without it being challenged by their heirs after their death.
For example, if someone makes a liege poustie conveyance, it means that they have given away their property while they were in good health, and it cannot be challenged by their heirs on the grounds of deathbed.
These examples illustrate the different meanings of the term liege and how it was used in different historical contexts.