Customs

Customs (law)

Many areas in Europe had their own habitual behaviours and expectations of each other. However, to be a source of natural law, a local custom had to meet certain criteria.

It had to be

• clear, certain, and consistent
• reasonable
• obligatory and exercised as of right
• geographically local
• in conformity with any applicable statutes (otherwise these overrode the custom)
• continuously held since "time immemorial"

Time immemorial, per se, meant a time antedating any legal history. However, for clarity, this was taken by reference to a particular voyage of the King of England to France. In 1275/6, again to avoid complication, this was finally fixed to have been at the beginning of the reign of Richard I in 1189.

This had the additional effect that a claimed custom could thereafter be defeated simply by showing that its exercise would hve been impossible at that time -- for example a claimed customary right of grazing on land which, on enquiry, proved to have been underwater at or since 1189.

Customs (tax)

A custom is a levy or duty applied on something.

Quoting from Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary

[A custom is] a tax imposed by the Romans. The tax-gatherers were

termed publicans (q.v.), who had their stations at the gates of cities,

and in the public highways, and at the place set apart for that

purpose, called the "receipt of custom" (Matt.9: 9; Mark 2:14),

where they collected the money that was to be paid on certain

goods (Matt.17:25). These publicans were tempted to exact more

from the people than was lawful, and were, in consequence of

their extortions, objects of great hatred. The Pharisees would

have no intercourse with them (Matt.5:46, 47; 9:10, 11).

A tax or tribute (q.v.) of half a shekel was annually paid by

every adult Jew for the temple. It had to be paid in Jewish coin

(Matt. 22:17-19; Mark 12:14, 15). Money-changers (q.v.) were

necessary, to enable the Jews who came up to Jerusalem at the

feasts to exchange their foreign coin for Jewish money; but as

it was forbidden by the law to carry on such a traffic for

emolument (Deut. 23:19, 20), our Lord drove them from the temple

(Matt. 21:12: Mark 11:15).

Modern customs are an important consideration when purchasing itemd from overseas. In Australia customs require special clearances etc when the value of your goods exceeds $1000AUD (including postage costs). In addition they will charge you a duty, on top of which they will place an additional tax on the entire amount (a tax on a tax).

SCA customs

The SCA has various customary behaviours that are not always explicitly written into law.

Customs

• Wearing garb
• Traditions

Manners

• Period Manners
• Addressing Royalty
• the difference between lack of manners and not knowing polite manners
• Real weapons in the SCA

Duty

• duty to god
• duty to the crown
• being a squire