Court Of Assize And Nisi Prius (Noun)
Meaning
The county courts of England (replaced in 1971 by Crown courts).
Classification
Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects.
Examples
- The court of assize and nisi prius, also known as assizes, were the main courts in each county of England and Wales from the 12th century to 1971.
- It was at the court of assize and nisi prius that the judge of the circuit would hear the most serious cases during his annual visit to the county.
- A judge at the court of assize and nisi prius had the power to pass any sentence, from fines to execution, at the end of a trial.
- Each year, a High Court judge would go on circuit to sit as the judge at the court of assize and nisi prius, hearing cases that required a jury.
- The court of assize and nisi prius was formally renamed the Crown Court in 1971 as part of a major overhaul of the English court system.