n. 1. The offense under English law of appealing to or obeying a foreign court or authority, thus challenging the supremacy of the Crown. 2. The writ charging this offense. 3. The penalty for this offense. [Short for Middle English premunire facias, a writ of praemunire, from Medieval Latin praemūnīre faciās : praemūnīre, to warn (from Latin, to fortify : prae-, pre- + mūnīre, to defend; see MUNITION) + Latin faciās, that you cause, second person sing. present subjunctive of facere, to do (words used in the writ).] |
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