WORLD'S OLDEST LAWSUIT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16662, 18 February 1922, Page 16

WORLD'S OLDEST LAWSUIT.

BEGAN 600 YEARS AGO. hat is certainly the oldest lawsuit in the world is being heard once more at Nancy (says a London paper). It began more than 600 years ago, and though in the interval scores of attempts have been made to settle it, a legacy of litigation and appeal has been left from generation to generation with apparently no end. ft all began in the year 1232. when a royal charter was drawn up distributing some acres of forest land in the Jura Mountains, between the communities of Charcilla and Meussia. For nearly’ 100 years the two communes seem to have accepted the distribution. but in the year of fateful date, 1313, the inhabitants of Charcilla laid claim to a part of l the forest which was held by their neighbours of Meussia. The text of the charter was found to be very’ confused and judgment went to the claimants. Meussia naturally could not accept such a defeat, and so they carried the matter to an appeal. Against that judgment there was a new appeal, and so the affair lias gone throughout the whole history’ of France. Kings lost their heads, revolutions split the country into a thousand factions. Louis of every sort reigned and departed; two Napoleons arose with glittering splendour to rule over France and faded to eclipse, but still through all these the troubles of Charcilla. and Meussia went on steadily and unchanging. Attempts without number were made to bring the people of the two communes to reason, but they are hardheaded and obstinate up there in the Jura Mountains. Their quarrel is as important to them as the even longer quarrel of the Irish against England, and no Lloyd George has arisen to settle it. In legal fees and costs the value of the disputed forest has been spent again and again in the past seven centuries. but tlu*t lias not prevented the matter being raised once more.

Recently the Court of Appeal at Basaneon once more gave an award in favour ol : Cliarcilla. hut Meussia at once took the matter to Paris, and the Court of Cassation got the judgment reversed, and a re-trial ordered at Nancy. It is that trial which is now going on. but no one has the least hope that it will he the end of the business. The quarrel is too interesting to end vet.