ACTIONARY. A commercial term used among foreigners, to signify stockholders.

ACTIONES NOMINATAE. Formerly¹ the English courts of chancery would make no writs² when there was no precedent³, and the cases for which there were precedents⁴ were called actiones nominatoe. The statute⁵ of Westm. 2, c. 24, gave chancery authority to form new writs in consimili casu. Hence arose the action on the case. Bac. Ab. Court of Chancery, A; 17, Serg. R. 195.

ACTIVE. The opposite, of passive. We say active debts, or debts due to us; passive debts are those we owe.

ACTON BURNELL. Statute of Vide de Mercatoribus. Cruise, Dig. tit. 14, s. 6.

ACTOR, practice. 1. A plaintiff or complainant. 2. He on whom the burden of proof lies. In actions of replevin both parties are said to be actors. The proctor or advocate in the courts of the civil law, was called actor.

ACTS OF COURT. In courts of admiralty, by this phrase is understood legal memoranda⁶ of the nature of pleas. For example, the English court of admiralty disregards all tenders, except those formally made by acts of court. Abbott on Ship. pi. 3, c. 10, 2, p. 403; 4 Rob. R. 103; 1 Hagg. R. 157; Dunl. Adm. Pr. 104, 6.

ACTS OF SEDERUNT. In the laws of Scotland, are ordinances⁷ for regulating the forms of proceeding⁸, before the court of session, in the administration of justice, made by the judges, who have a delegated power from the legislature for that purpose. Ersk. Pr. L. Scot. B. 1, t. 1, s. 14.

ACTUAL. Real; actual.

2. Actual notice. One which has been expressly given by which knowledge of a fact hos been brought home to a party directly ; it is opposed to constructive⁹ notice.

3. Actual admissions. Those which are expressly made; they are plenary or partial. 4 Bouv. Inst. n. 4405.

4. An actual escape takes place when a prisoner in fact gets out of prison, and unlawfull regains¹⁰ his liberty. Vide Escape.