Lawspeaker

Quick meaning: Lawspeaker is a noun meaning (historical) An official in Scandinavia whose duties included memorizing laws as well as presiding over, and reciting the laws at, regional Things or the Althing.

Meaning

(historical) An official in Scandinavia whose duties included memorizing laws as well as presiding over, and reciting the laws at, regional Things or the Althing.

Example Sentences

1974, Jón Jóhannesson, A History of the Old Icelandic Commonwealth: Islendinga Saga, University of Manitoba Press, 2006, Reprint, page 48, The lawspeaker was the president of the Althing. […] Except for the hallowing ceremony, the lawspeaker was in charge of all the affairs of the Althing.

In every legal district there is a lawspeaker, and he has the greatest power among the farmers, because whatever he decides to be the law stands.[…]But whenever there is a conflict in their laws, then the Uppsala laws prevail; and all the other lawspeakers have a lower rank than the one who functions for the Tíundaland.

The lawspeaker received an annual salary of 200 ells of wadmal and half of the fines imposed by the courts. The lawspeaker had to have a thorough knowledge of the law, since he had to recite aloud the body of Icelandic law in the presence of the majority of those present at the Althing over the course of his three-year term[…].

Word Forms

• lawspeakers

Synonyms for lawspeaker

Depending on context, synonyms include lawman.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include speaker, lawman, legislatorship, legislator, clerk, houseleader.

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