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Simple English definitions for legal terms
nichil
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A quick definition of nichil:
Term: nichil
Definition: Nichil is an old English law term that refers to a debt owed to the Exchequer's office but cannot be collected by sheriffs because the debtor cannot be found or is unable to pay. Once a year, an officer of the Clerk of Nichils enrolled these amounts and sent them to the treasurer's remembrancer's office from which process was issued for their recovery. The term comes from the Latin word "nihil" which means "nothing".
Example: The sheriff had to nichil the debt because the debtor had disappeared and could not be found.
A more thorough explanation:
Definition: Nichil is a term used in old English law to describe a debt that was owed to the Exchequer's office but was considered nonleviable by sheriffs. It comes from the Latin word "nihil" which means "nothing".
Example: If someone owed money to the Exchequer's office but the sheriff couldn't find them or they couldn't pay, the sheriff would make a return that the debt was worthless. This is called nichiling the debt.
The term nichil is not used in modern English law and the offices of the Clerk of Nichils and the treasurer's remembrancer's office were abolished in 1833.