cessions

Cession refers to the act of yielding or transferring rights, property, or sovereignty from one party to another, typically by agreement, treaty, or other formal instrument. The term comes from Latin cessio, meaning a yielding, and is widely used in international law and civil law to describe different kinds of transfer.

In international law, territorial cession occurs when one state transfers control over land or sovereignty to another state. Such transfers are usually effected by a treaty and may require ratification by the states’ legislative bodies. Territorial cession can accompany changes to borders, resource rights, and jurisdiction.

In domestic or civil law, cession can denote the assignment or transfer of rights, claims, or title from one person or entity to another. This usage is common in civil-law jurisdictions and is sometimes described as the cession of rights or the cession of claims. Cession can occur in contexts such as insurance, debt assignment, or the transfer of licenses and contractual rights.

Notable historical examples include the Louisiana Purchase (1803), in which France ceded vast territories to the United States, and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848), which ended the Mexican-American War and ceded large portions of territory to the United States. The 1898 Treaty of Paris also resulted in Spain ceding territories such as the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico to the United States.

See also: assignment, conveyance, treaty.