The Assize of Arms of 1252, also called the Ordinance of 1252, was a proclamation of King Henry III of England

Henry III of England

Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...

 concerning the enforcement of the Assize of Arms of 1181, and the appointment of constables to summon men to arms, quell breaches of the peace

Breach of the peace

Breach of the peace is a legal term used in constitutional law in English-speaking countries, and in a wider public order sense in Britain.-Constitutional law:...

, and to deliver offenders to the sheriff

Sheriff

A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....

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Along with the Ordinance of 1233 that required the appointment of watchmen, the appointment of constables is cited as one of the earliest creation of the English police

Police

The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...

, as was the Statute of Westminster 1285

Statute of Westminster 1285

The Statute of Westminster of 1285, like the Statute of Westminster 1275, is a code in itself, and contains the famous clause De donis conditionalibus , one of the fundamental institutes of the medieval land law of England...

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