Peer

. An equal in rank.

In English law. A baron or higher nobleman; a lord temporal, having a seat in parliament

* An equal in rank or condition: as, in " trial by one's peers.'' In early times the lord was legislator and judge over all his feudatories; and, therefore, the vassals of inferior lords were bound by their fealty to attend their domestic court barons (in.stituted in every manor for doing speedy and effectual justice to all the tenants) in order to form a jury or homage for the>trial of their fellow-tenants; Upon this account they are distinguished as the "peers " of the court, pares curtis, or pares curiae. In like manner, the barons themselves, or the lords of inferior districts, were denominated -peers" of the king's court, and bound to attend him upon summons.* Compare Sdit, 1. By Magna Charta, ch. 29, no freeman shall be affected in his person or property " nisi per legale judicium parium suorum vel per legem terrcB," except by lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land.' " Judgment of his peers " means " trial per pais," by the country, that is, by a jury.' Peerage. See PAELtAMEST.

An equal. The vassal of a lord who judge his co-vassals. A lord temporal, liament; a baron or higher nobleman. Pees,/r. v. Peas.

Originally, an equal; thus trial by one's peers signifies trial by those of equal condition or rank with the accused. In the feudal law, vassals of a lord who sat in his court for the trial of other vassals were called the pares, or peers, in view of all being equals in degree. In modern English law, the various members of the nobility are called peers, as a collective name. As there aje various grades of rank among them, the appropriateness of the term, etymologically, is not very apparent. Some authorities say it is because they are all equal in the privilege of sitting and ence to the great division between nobility and commonalty, the equals of the sovereign. Peerage. The dignity of the lords or peers of the realm; also the nobility, taken collectively. Peeress. A woman who has the dignity of peerage, — which may be either in her own right or by right of marriage.

Equal. A man’s peers are his equals. A man is to be tried by his peers. In England and some other countries, this is a title of nobility; as, peers of the realm. In the United States, this equality is not so much political as civil. A man who is not a citizen, is nevertheless to be tried by citizens. Peeress is a noblewoman, the wife of a peer