English-language interjection announcing the opening of a legal court
This article is about the Anglo-Norman word still used traditionally in law. For the web database, see Oyez Project. For the type of judicial commission, see Oyer and terminer.
Oyez (/oʊˈjɛz/, /oʊˈjeɪ/, /oʊˈjɛs/; more rarely with the word stress at the beginning) is a traditional interjection said two or three times in succession to introduce the opening of a court of law. The interjection is also traditionally used by town criers to attract the attention of the public to public proclamations.[1][2][3][4]
Until the 18th century, speaking English in an English court of law was not required and one could instead use Law French, a form of French that evolved after the Norman Conquest, when Anglo-Norman became the language of the upper classes in England. Oyez descends from the Anglo-Norman oyez, the plural imperative form of oyer, from French ouïr, "to hear"; thus oyez means "hear ye" and was used as a call for silence and attention. It was common in medieval England,[1] and France.[5]
The term is still in use by the Supreme Court of the United States. At the beginning of each session, the Marshal of the United States Supreme Court strikes a gavel and announces:[6]
The Honorable, the Chief Justice and the Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States. Oyez! Oyez! Oyez! All persons having business before the Honorable, the Supreme Court of the United States, are admonished to draw near and give their attention, for the Court is now sitting. God save the United States and this Honorable Court.
The phrase is also in use in other federal courts, such as the following:
United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana
The phrase is also in use in the state courts of Connecticut, Virginia, North Carolina, and Maryland.
In addition to courts, the word, again repeated three times, is used by the Common Crier of the City of London for all of the city's public proclamations most notably the opening and closing of the Common Halls for the elections of lord mayor and the sheriffs at Guildhall. His other duties include the reading of the proclamation dissolving Parliament from the steps of the Royal Exchange in the United Kingdom. Traditionally, a proclamation is delivered to the Mansion House from the Privy Council Office, at which point it is given to the Common Crier, who proceeds to read it publicly.[citation needed]
^ abAmerican Heritage Dictionary Archived December 24, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
^"Definition of OYEZ". www.merriam-webster.com.
^"Oyez definition and meaning - Collins English Dictionary". www.collinsdictionary.com.
^"oyez - Definition of oyez in English by Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries - English. Archived from the original on December 24, 2013.
^"Banque de dépannage linguistique - Oyez". bdl.oqlf.gouv.qc.ca.
^"How The Court Works - Oral Argument". The Supreme Court Historical Society.
Oyez (/oʊˈjɛz/, /oʊˈjeɪ/, /oʊˈjɛs/; more rarely with the word stress at the beginning) is a traditional interjection said two or three times in succession...
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petition for certiorari, so certiorari has not been granted. "2022–23 Term". Oyez. Retrieved July 1, 2022. "Calendars and Lists". www.supremecourt.gov. Retrieved...
Activities". Roosevelt.edu. Retrieved April 24, 2020. "Welcome to the Oyez Review". Oyez Review. Medium. May 9, 2019. "data". roosevelttorch.com. Retrieved...
Retrieved December 11, 2021. "Arthur J. Goldberg". Oyez. Retrieved August 13, 2023. "John Paul Stevens". Oyez. Retrieved August 13, 2023. Williamson & Wild...
Foskett 2004, p. 47. Foskett 2004, p. 46. "Clarence Thomas: Biography". Oyez Project. Archived from the original on May 13, 2003. Retrieved June 27, 2017...
February 14, 2021. Retrieved July 9, 2018. Swidler & Berlin v. United States, Oyez Project. Liptak, Adam (August 20, 2019). "Brett Kavanaugh Urged Graphic Questions...
original on December 31, 2006. Retrieved August 23, 2008. "Levi Woodbury". Oyez Supreme Court Media. Archived from the original on April 12, 2007. Retrieved...
Retrieved September 29, 2019. "Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka". Oyez. Retrieved September 29, 2019. "Two Landmark Decisions in the Fight for Equality...
original on January 24, 2021. Retrieved October 13, 2020. "Byron R. White". Oyez. March 29, 2023. Archived from the original on March 21, 2007. Retrieved...
words "Oyez, Oyez, Oyez!" before making their announcements. The word "Oyez" means "hear ye," which is a call for silence and attention. Oyez derives...
Ala. 1956)". Justia US law. Retrieved June 23, 2020. "Gayle v. Browder". Oyez. Retrieved June 27, 2020. "Browder v. Gayle, 352 U.S. 903". Stanford University...
November 5, 2013. "Clay v. United States | The Oyez Project at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law". Oyez.org. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013...
original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved June 30, 2013. "Plyler v. Doe". The Oyez Project at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law. Archived from the original on...
August 6, 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2021. "United States v. Davis (2019)". Oyez Project. Archived from the original on February 19, 2021. Retrieved February...
"MISSOURI V. IOWA, 48 U.S. 660 (1849)—US Supreme Court Cases from Justia & Oyez". Supreme.justia.com. Archived from the original on November 11, 2010. Retrieved...
traditionally opened by a proclamation from the ward beadle, for example:: 73 Oyez! Oyez! Oyez! All manner of persons having to do at this Court of Wardmote for the...
University. Retrieved 2021-06-16. "Christian Legal Society Chapter v. Martinez". Oyez. Chicago-Kent College of Law at Illinois Tech. Retrieved 1 April 2016. 427...
Jonathan David Publishers. p. 73. ISBN 9780824603816. "Stephen G. Breyer". Oyez. Archived from the original on March 21, 2007. Retrieved March 21, 2007....
on January 14, 2016. Retrieved January 31, 2016. "John G. Roberts, Jr". oyez.org. Archived from the original on April 4, 2016. Retrieved April 26, 2016...
(1)". Oyez. Retrieved October 3, 2019. "Heart of Atlanta Motel, Inc. v. United States". Oyez. Retrieved October 3, 2019. "Loving v. Virginia". Oyez. Retrieved...
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