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Simple English definitions for legal terms
regnal year
Read a random definition: Excessive Fines Clause
A quick definition of regnal year:
Regnal year: A regnal year is a year of a monarch's reign, marked from the date or anniversary of the monarch's accession. It is used to keep track of how long a monarch has been ruling. In the past, British laws were referred to by the regnal year in which they were enacted, but now they are referred to by the calendar year.
A more thorough explanation:
Definition: A regnal year is a year of a monarch's reign, which is marked from the date or anniversary of the monarch's accession. In the past, British statutes were cited by the regnal years in which they were enacted. However, since 1962, British statutes have been cited by calendar year instead of regnal year.
Example: Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne on February 6, 1952. Her first regnal year was from February 6, 1952, to February 5, 1953. Her second regnal year was from February 6, 1953, to February 5, 1954, and so on.
Explanation: This example illustrates how a regnal year is marked from the date of a monarch's accession. In this case, Queen Elizabeth II's first regnal year began on the date she became queen and ended on the anniversary of that date the following year.