cessio

Cessio is a Latin noun meaning yield, surrender, or concession. In legal contexts, it denotes the act of giving up or transferring rights, property, or claims from one party to another. The concept appears in Roman law and persists in many civil-law traditions, though the form and consequences vary by jurisdiction.

A notable historical form is cessio bonorum, where a debtor voluntarily surrenders his estate to creditors to obtain relief from further personal liability. In ancient Rome this mechanism facilitated the settlement of obligations and avoidance of harsher penalties; later legal systems adapted the idea with different protections for debtors and creditors.

In modern civil-law practice, cessio (or cessione in vernaculars) often refers to the assignment of a claim or other right from one party (the cedent) to another (the assignee). Such assignments are typically effected by contract and may require notices to the debtor, formality under the relevant code, and compliance with rules about defenses and priority of claims.

Etymology: cessio derives from the Latin cedo, cedere, meaning to yield. The English term cession reflects this lineage and is used in various legal and administrative contexts, including territorial or contractual transfers.

See also: cession, assignment, cession of rights, cession of claims, cessio bonorum, novation.