Legal term for an agreement with one side of a dispute to have a share in the property being disputed; this was clearly corrupt practice. Champerty was explicitly forbidden under statute by Edward III, as was *embracery. The Latin form is campipartito. [< AnNor. champartie = a division, a lord's share of an estate's produce < Lat. campi pars = part of the land]
Cf. Champertor
Dictionary of Medieval Terms and Phrases. Christopher Coredon with Ann Williams.