What is "praemunire"

Praemunire \Pr[ae]m`u*ni"re\, n. [Corrupted from L. praemonere to forewarn, cite. See Admonish.] (Eng. Law)

1. The offense of introducing foreign authority into England, the penalties for which were originally intended to depress the civil power of the pope in the kingdom.

2. The writ grounded on that offense.
   --Wharton.

3. The penalty ascribed for the offense of pr[ae]munire.

   Wolsey incurred a pr[ae]munire, and forfeited his honor, estate, and life.
   --South.

   Note: The penalties of pr[ae]munire were subsequently applied to many other offenses; but prosecutions upon a pr[ae]munire are at this day unheard of in the English courts.
   --Blackstone.

Praemunire \Pr[ae]m`u*ni"re\, v. t. 1. To subject to the penalties of pr[ae]munire. [Obs.]
--T. Ward.

n. (context legal historical English) The offence, in English law, of appealing to or obeying a foreign court or authority, especially a papal court or authority. vb. (context obsolete English) To subject to the penalties of praemunire.

In English history, praemunire or praemunire facias is a law which prohibited the assertion or maintenance of papal jurisdiction, imperial or foreign, or some other alien jurisdiction or claim of supremacy in England, against the supremacy of the monarch. This law was enforced by the writ of praemunire facias, a writ of summons from which the law takes its name.

The name praemunire may denote the statute, the writ, or the offence.

Praemunire in classical Latin means to fortify. In medieval Latin, praemunire was confused with and used for praemonere, to forewarn, as the writ commanded that the sheriff do (facias) warn (praemunire) the summoned person to appear before the Court.