This was fully within Jonas' right of office, but was a fairly rare procedure.

Obedience under legal authority is not owed to an individual personally but to the impersonal and abstract rules specifying the rights of office.

At that time mayors of boroughs were justices, as well as chairmen of borough benches, by right of office.

The term is Latin, meaning literally "from the office", and the sense intended is "by right of office"; its use dates back to the Roman Republic.

"So I'm not rejecting you, Cappie, I still want you to be my successor, but claiming the rights of office tonight... that's premature, don't you think?"