Anglo-Saxon law of legislation, though many technical terms from English for which Latin did not have an equivalent expression were retained. Anglo-Saxon law Anglo-Saxon law (Old English "ǣ", later "lagu" "law"; dōm "decree, judgment") is a body of written rules and customs that were in place during the Anglo-Saxon period in England, before the Norman conquest. This body of law, along with early Scandinavian law and Germanic law, descended from a family of ancient Germanic custom and legal thought. However, Anglo-Saxon law codes are distinct from other early Germanic legal statements – known as the "leges barbarorum", in part because they were
Legal English the Law of Æthelberht. Following the Norman invasion of England in 1066, Anglo-Norman French became the official language of legal proceedings in England for a period of nearly 300 years until the Pleading in English Act 1362 (and continued in minor use for another 300 years), while Medieval Latin was used for written records for over 650 years. Some English technical terms were retained, however (see Anglo-Saxon law: Language and dialect for details). In legal pleadings, Anglo-Norman developed into Law French, from which many words in modern legal English are derived. These include "property", "estate", "chattel", "lease", "executor", and "tenant".