Civil and Scots Law. Also 9 in compound form liticontestation. [ad. L. lītis (gen. of līs lawsuit) contestātiōn-em (n. of action f. contestārī to take or call to witness).] The formal entry of a suit in a court of law.
1456. Sir G. Haye, Law Arms (S.T.S.), 276/8. And fra litiscontestacioun be, the plede is begunnyn.
c. 1575. Balfour’s Practicks (1754), 30. Quhilk day being come, the defendar sall mak litiscontestatioun.
1622. Malynes, Anc. Law-Merch., 446. By the common rules of the law, where no litiscontestation is past … no witnesse should be receiued.
1752. J. Louthian, Form of Process (ed. 2), 265. Before Litis-contestation, the Defender may crave Protestation against the Pursuer for not insisting.
1802. Bentham, Princ. Judic. Proced., Introd., Wks. 1843, II. 7. Expense of liticontestation, defrayed as far as possible by the public.
1880. Muirhead, Gaius, III. § 180. An obligation is extinguished by litiscontestation or joinder of issue.
