Law Dictionary of Legal Terminology

REFORM

REFORM. To reorganize; to rearrange as, the jury "shall be reformed by putting to and taking out of the persons so impanneled." Stat. 3 H. VIII. c. 12; Bac. Ab. Juries, A.

2. To reform an instrument in equity, is to make a decree that a deed or other agreement shall be made or construed as it was originally intended by the parties, when an error or mistake as to a fact has been committed. A contract has been reformed, although the party applying to the court was in the legal profession, and he himself drew the contract, it appearing clear that it was framed so as to admit of a construction inconsistent with the true agreement of the parties. 1 Sim. & Stu. 210; 3 Russ. R. 424. But a contract will not be reformed in consequence of an error of law. 1 Russ. & M. 418; 1 Chit. Pr. 124.