KFLCC Kingdom Law 2nd Ed.

COURT-HOUSE

286

COURT OF AUGMENTATION

COURT-HOUSE. The building occupied for the public sessions of a court, with its va rious offices. The term may be used of a place temporarily occupied for the sessions of a court, though not the regular court house. Harris v. State, 72 Miss. 960, 18 South. 387, 33 L. R. A. 85; Vigo County v. Stout, 136 Ind. 53, 35 N. E. 683, 22 L. R. A. 398; Waller v. Arnold, 71 111. 353; Kane v. McCown, 55 Mo. 198. COURT-LANDS. Domains or lands kept in the lord's hands to serve his family. COURT-LEET. The name of an English court of record held once in the yea"r, and not oftener, within a particular hundred, lordship, or manor, before the steward of the leet; being the king's court granted by char ter to the lords of those hundreds or manors. Its office was to view the frankpledges,—that is, the freemen within the liberty; to present by jury crimes happening within the juris diction; and to punish trivial misdemeanors. It has now, however, for the most part, fall en into total desuetude; though in some manors a court-leet is still periodically held for the transaction of the administrative business of the manor. Mozley & Whitley. COURT-MARTIAL. A military court, convened under authority of government and the articles of war, for trying and punishing military offenses committed by soldiers or sailors in the army or navy. People v. Van Allen, 55 N. Y. 31; Carver v. U. S., 16 Ct. CI. 361; U. S. v. Mackenzie, 30 Fed. Cas. 1160. COURT OF ADMIRALTY. A court having jurisdiction of causes arising under the rules of admiralty law. See ADMIRALTY. —High, court of admiralty. In English" law. This was a court which exercised juris diction in prize cases, and had general juris diction in maritime causes, on the instance side. Its proceedings were usually tn rem, and its practice and principles derived in large measure from the civil law. The judicature acts of 1873 transferred all the powers and ju risdiction of this tribunal to the probate, di vorce, and admiralty division of the high court of justice. COURT OF ANCIENT DEMESNE. In English law. A court of peculiar constitu tion, held by a bailiff appointed by the king, in which alone the tenants of the king's de mesne could be impleaded. 2 Burrows, 1046; 1 Spence, Eq. Jur. 100; 2 Bl. Comm. 99; 1 Steph. Comm. 224. COURT OF APPEAL, HIS MAJ ESTY'S. The chief appellate tribunal of England. It was established by the judi cature acts of 1873 and 1875, and is invested with the jurisdiction formerly exercised 'by the court of appeal in chancery, the excheq uer chamber, the judicial committee of the privy council in admiralty and lunacy ap peals, and with general appellate jurisdic tion from the high court of justice.

COURT OF APPEALS. In American law. An appellate tribunal which, in Ken tucky, Maryland, the District of Columbia, and New York, is the court of last resort. In Delaware and New Jersey, it is known as the "court of errors and appeals;" in Vir ginia and West Virginia, the "supreme court of appeals." in Texas the court of appeals is inferior to the supreme court. COURT OF APPEALS IN CASES OF CAPTURE. A court erected by act of con gress under the articles of confederation which preceded the adoption of the constitu tion. It had appellate jurisdiction in prize causes. COURT OF ARBITRATION OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. A court of arbitrators, created for the convenience of merchants in the city of New York, by act of the legislature of New York. It decides disputes between members of the chamber of commerce, and between members and outside merchants who voluntarily submit them selves to the jurisdiction of the court COURT OF ARCHDEACON. The most inferior of the English ecclesiastical courts, from which an appeal generally lies to that of the bishop. 3 Bl. Comm. 64. COURT OF ASSISTANTS. In Massa chusetts during the early colonial period, this name was given to the chief or supreme ju dicial court, composed of the governor, his deputy, and certain assistants. COURTS OF ASSIZE AND NISI PRIUS. Courts in England composed of two or more commissioners, called "judges of assize," (or of "assize and nisi prius,") who are twice in every year sent by the king's special commission, on circuits all round the kingdom, to try, by a jury of the respective counties, the truth of such matters of fact as are there under dispute in the courts of West minster Hall. 3 Steph. Comm. 421, 422; 3 Bl. Comm. 57. COURT OF ATTACHMENTS. The low est of the three courts held in the forests. It has fallen into total disuse. COURT OF AUDIENCE. Ecclesiastical courts, In which the primates once exercised in person a considerable part of their juris diction. They seem to be now obsolete, or at least to be only used on the rare occur rence of the trial of a bishop. Phillim. Ecc. Law, 1201, 1204. COURT OF AUGMENTATION. An English court created in the time of Henry VIII., with jurisdiction over the property and revenue of certain religious founda tions, which had been made over to the king by act of parliament, and over suits relating to the same.