Side-Bar Rules

In English Practice. Rules which were formerly moved for by attorneys on the side-bar of the court, but now may be had of the clerk of the rules, upon a praecipe. These rules are, that the sheriff return his writ, that he bring: in the body, for special imparlance, to be present at the taxing of costs, and the like. As to side-bar applications, see Mitchell, Rules 20. SIDESMEN ( testes, synod ales). In Ecclesiastical Law. A kind of impanelled jury, consisting of two, three, or more persons, in every parish, who were upon oath to present all heretics and irregular persons. In process of time they became standing officers in many places, especially cities. They were called synodsmen, — by corruption sidesmen; also questmen. But their office has become absorbed in that of church-warden.

1 Burn, Eccl. Law 399.