Legal Definition and Related Resources of Inquisition

The act of inquiring; inquiry; examination ; investigation. The term is synonymous with inquest . See U.S. v Oregon & C. R. Co., 186 F. 861; Hamilton v Brown, 161 U.S. 256, 16 S.Ct. 585, 40 L.Ed. 691.

In practice. An examination of certain facts by a jury impanelled by the sheriff for the purpose. The instrument of writing on which their decision is made is also called an inquisition. The sheriff or coroner, and the jury who make the inquisition, are called the “inquest.” The term “inquest” is now generally used instead of “inquisition.”

Browse or run a search for Inquisition in the American Encyclopedia of Law, the Asian Encyclopedia of Law, the European Encyclopedia of Law, the UK Encyclopedia of Law or the Latin American and Spanish Encyclopedia of Law.

Inquisition in Historical Law

You might be interested in the historical meaning of this term. Browse or search for Inquisition in Historical Law in the Encyclopedia of Law.

Search for legal acronyms and/or abbreviations containing Inquisition in the Legal Abbreviations and Acronyms Dictionary.

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This definition of Inquisition is based on the The Cyclopedic Law Dictionary . This entry needs to be proofread.

Vocabularies (Semantic Web Information)

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Inquisition in Law Enforcement

Main Entry: Law Enforcement in the Legal Dictionary. This section provides, in the context of Law Enforcement, a partial definition of inquisition.

Grammar

This term is a noun.

Etimology of Inquisition

(You may find inquisition at the world legal encyclopedia and the etimology of more terms).

late 14c., “judicial investigation, act or process of inquiring,” from Old French inquisicion “inquiry, investigation” (12c., Modern French inquisition), from Latin inquisitionem (nominative inquisitio) “a searching into, a seeking; legal examination, a seeking of grounds for accusation,” noun of action from past participle stem of inquirere (see inquire). In Church history, inquisitors were appointed from 382 C.E. to root out heretics; the ecclesiastical court appointed 13c. by Innocent III to suppress heresy never operated in Britain. The English word began to be used in this sense (and with a capital initial letter) after c. 1500, and usually refers to the office’s reorganization 1478-1483 in Spain, where it fell under the control of the state as what is commonly called the Spanish Inquisition, noted especially for its severity, secrecy, and the number of its victims.

Resources

See Also

• Inquest
• Inquiry

Resources

See Also

• Law Enforcement Officer
• Police Work
• Law Enforcement Agency

Further Reading

• inquisition in A Dictionary of Law Enforcement (Oxford University Press)
• inquisition in the Encyclopedia of Law Enforcement
• A Treatise on the Police of the Metropolis

Inquisition