CONTUMACY, a stubborn refusal to obey authority, obsti nate resistance ; particularly, in law, the wilful contempt of the order or summons of a court (see CONTEMPT OF COURT). In ec clesiastical law, the contempt of the authority of an ecclesiastical court is dealt with by the issue of a writ de contumace capiendo from the court of chancery at the instance of the judge of the ecclesiastical court ; this writ took the place of that de excom municato capiendo in 1813, by an act of George III. ch. 127 (see EXCOMMUNICATION).