Presentment

Presentment is the act of presenting a document, claim, or proposal to a person or body for consideration, acceptance, payment, or action. The term comes from Latin roots meaning to place before someone. It is used in civil and criminal law, as well as in commercial practice, to describe the formal act of placing a matter before a designated authority so that it can be acted upon.

In criminal procedure, presentment historically referred to a formal accusation of a crime made by a grand jury, sometimes called a true bill. In many modern jurisdictions, the term has largely been supplanted by indictment, information, or complaint, but presentment remains a historical and occasionally technical term for the act of presenting charges to a court.

In commercial and banking contexts, presentment often refers to the presentation of a negotiable instrument—such as a check or bill of exchange—to the drawee or presenting bank for payment or acceptance. The instrument is honored or dishonored on presentment, and non-payment may lead to protest or other remedies under applicable commercial law.

In constitutional and statutory settings, presentment denotes the formal requirement that legislation or other government actions be presented to the appropriate authority for approval, veto, or execution. In the United States, the presentment clause requires that bills passed by Congress be presented to the president for consideration.

Presentment thus serves as a procedural touchstone in both law and commerce, ensuring that authorities or counterparts are formally informed and able to act.