Legal Definitions - namation

Namation is a historical term that means the act of taking someone's property as a way of punishing them for not paying a debt or breaking a law. It was used in Old English and Scottish law.

• When John didn't pay his rent, the landlord had the right to perform namation and take his belongings until he paid what he owed.
• In Scotland, if a farmer's animals were found wandering on someone else's land, the owner of the land could perform namation and impound the animals until the farmer paid a fine.

These examples show how namation was used as a way of enforcing the law and making sure people paid their debts. It was a serious consequence for those who didn't follow the rules.