_),
in English law, a bargain between a plaintiff or defendant in a cause
and another person, to divide the land (_campum partiri_) or other
matter sued for, if they prevail, in consideration of that person
carrying on or defending the suit at his own expense. It is a
misdemeanour punishable by fine or imprisonment. It differs only from
maintenance (q.v.), in that the recompense for the service which has
been given is always part of the matter in suit, or some profit growing
out of it. So an agreement by a solicitor not to charge costs on
condition of retaining for himself a share of the sums recovered would
be illegal and void. It is not, however, champerty to charge the
subject-matter of a suit in order to obtain the means of prosecuting it.

See _Fifth Report of the Criminal Law Commissioners_, pp. 34-9.

CHAMPION (Fr. _champion_, Late Lat. _campio_ from _campus_, a field or
open space, i.e. one "who takes the field" or fights; cf. Ger. _Kampf_,
battle, and _Kampfer_, fighter), in the judicial combats of the middle
ages the substitute for a party to the suit disabled from bearing arms
or specially exempt from the duty to do so (see WAGER). Hence the word
has come to be applied to any one who "champions," or contends on behalf
of, any person or cause. In the laws of the Lombards (lib. ii. tit. 56
SS 38, 39), those who by reason of youth, age or infirmity could not
bear arms were allowed to nominate champions, and the same provision was
made in the case of women (lib. i. tit. 3 S 6, tit. 16, S2). This was
practically the rule laid down in all subsequent legislation on the
subject. Thus the _Assize of Jerusalem_ (cap. 39) says: "These are the
people who may defend themselves through champions; a woman, a sick man,
a man who has passed the age of sixty, &c." The clergy, too, whether as
individuals or corporations, were represented by champions; in the case
of bishops and abbots this function was part of the duties of the
_advocatus_ (see ADVOCATE). Du Cange gives instances of mercenary
champions (_campiones conductitii_), who were regarded as "infamous
persons" and sometimes, in case of defeat, were condemned to lose hand
or foot. Sometimes championships were "serjeanties," i.e. rendered
service to lords, churches or cities in consideration of the grant of
certain fiefs, or for annual money payments, the champion doing homage
to the person or corporation represented by him (_campiones homagii_).

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