accessvary

Accessvary is an archaic or variant spelling of the term accessary, used in some English-language legal writings to denote a person who facilitates or participates in a crime without being the principal offender. In that sense, an accessvary is associated with the broader concept of an accessory in criminal law and may be described in terms such as accessory before the fact or accessory after the fact, depending on when the aid is given and the level of culpability.

In modern usage, the spelling accessvary is seldom employed; most jurisdictions use accessory or, in some contexts, accomplice to refer to a person who assists another in the commission of a crime. The key distinction is between those who help plan or procure the crime (accessory before the fact) and those who assist after its commission by concealing, aiding escape, or otherwise hindering investigators (accessory after the fact). Penalties for accessories are commonly the same as those for the principal offender in many legal systems, although the precise doctrine varies by jurisdiction.

Etymology: the term derives from Latin accessorius and Old French accessoire; in English it has appeared in various spellings, including accessary and accessvary, with the latter now largely obsolete.

See also: Accessory; Accessory before the fact; Accessory after the fact; Accomplice; Principal (in crime).