JOHN DOE AND RICHARD ROE
In the legal calendar the 24th day of October is worthy of notice, as on that day, in 1852, two individuals, though personally known to no one and enjoying an extensive reputation among lawyers, ceased to exist in England. These persona wore- John Doe and Richard Roe, and no two persons were more frequently referred to in legal documents. In every process of ejectment, instead of the real parties to the suit being named, John Doe, plaintiff, sued Richard Roe, defendant. Their names were also inserted in criminal proceedings. This notion was introduced into English legal practice in the time of Edward 111., in .consequence, it was said, of a provision in Magna Charta, which required the production of witnesses before every criminal trial, and henoeforth John Doe and Richard Roe were inserted as the names of the alleged witnesses, a custom which was carried across the Atlantic to this country. ' : ' ■
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Bibliographic details
Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 89, 14 April 1917, Page 14
Word Count
156JOHN DOE AND RICHARD ROE Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 89, 14 April 1917, Page 14
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