In Saxon law, handhabend (also spelled hand-habend or hand-habende) was a term applied to a thief who was found having the stolen goods in his possession; the thief himself was a hontfongenethef. "Handhabend" is derived from "having [a thing] in his hand".

By extension, the term also means the jurisdiction

Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted legal body or to a political leader to deal with and make pronouncements on legal matters and, by implication, to administer justice within a defined area of responsibility...

to try a thief caught with the property in question. A thief so caught could be given a trial of a more summary nature.