champerty

American  

[cham-per-tee] / ˈtʃæm pər ti /

noun

Law.

1. a sharing in the proceeds of litigation by one who agrees with either the plaintiff or defendant to help promote it or carry it on.

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champerty British  

/ ˈtʃæmpətɪ /

noun

1. law (formerly) an illegal bargain between a party to litigation and an outsider whereby the latter agrees to pay for the action and thereby share in any proceeds recovered See also maintenance

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Other Word Forms

• champertous adjective

Etymology

Origin of champerty

1300–50; Middle English champartie, equivalent to champart (< Middle French: share of the produce, literally, of the field, equivalent to champ field ( camp ¹ ) + part share, part ) + -ie -y ³

Example Sentences

In the Supreme Court’s definition, “Maintenance is helping another prosecute a suit; champerty is maintaining a suit in return for a financial interest in the outcome.”

From The New Yorker

During the Middle Ages, this concept of ‘‘champerty’’ — assisting another person’s lawsuit in exchange for a share of the proceeds — emerged as part of the larger ecclesiastical taboo against usury.

From New York Times

The word champerty derives from the old French term champart, meaning sharing part of a tenant's field or crop.

From The Guardian

Restrictions on champerty faded as the law evolved.

From BusinessWeek

It is not, however, champerty to charge the subject-matter of a suit in order to obtain the means of prosecuting it.

From Project Gutenberg