Asega

In the Old Frisian legal tradition, an asega was an official legal advisor to a court of law in the Westerlauwers district in western Friesland. Unlike a modern judge, the asega gave in most cases only an expert opinion on the law itself rather than on the facts of the case. As can be seen from the legal system known as Oudere Schoutenrecht, in the Old Frisian legal system with its formal approach to evidence, there was little room for appreciation of the facts of the case. Nevertheless, in exceptional circumstances, when there was a need for interpreting old sources of law in arriving at an appreciation of the case, the asega was asked for his opinion. The court could however refuse to accept his interpretation, simply arriving at its own verdict.

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