wand of peace

English

Noun

wand of peace (plural wands of peace)

1. (law, Scotland, historical) A wand, or staff, carried by the messenger of a court, which was broken when deforced (that is, hindered from executing process), as a symbol of the deforcement, and protest for remedy of law.
   • 1806, Gilbert Hutcheson, Pennyslvania Law Journal:

     DEFORCEMENT being a crime which has a distinct punishment affixed to it, the messenger, it has been argued, when relisted, should break his wand of peace, and protest for remeid of law]]

References

• “wand”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.