Clarendon

CONSTITUTIONS OF. The constitutions of Clarendon were certain statutes made in the reign of Henry II., of England, at a parliament held at Clarendon, by which the king checked the. power of the pope and his clergy, and greatly narrowed the exemption they claimed from secular jurisdiction. Previous to this time, there had been an entire separation between the clergy and laity, as members of the same commonwealth. The clergy, having emancipated themselves from the laws as administered by the courts of law, had assumed powers and exemptions quite inconsistent with the good government of the country. CLARIFICATIO (Lat.) In old Scotch law. A making clear; the purging or clearing (clenging) of an assize. Skene de Verb. Sign. Clarificatio debiti, the clearness of a debt which is sufficiently proved and verified.