court common pleas england common law court english legal system covered common pleas actions subject subject concern king created late 12th early 13th century splitting pleas common pleas served central english courts years authorised sit fixed location common pleas sat westminster hall entire existence joined pleas court king bench court jurisdiction gradually king bench pleas legal bill middlesex writ respectively common pleas maintained exclusive jurisdiction matters real property dissolution wide considered sir lock key common law staffed chief justice varying number justices required law mid 19th century allowed principal common law courts king bench common pleas fought maintain jurisdiction way 16th 17th centuries conservative reaching acceptable medium king bench pleas proved downfall courts courts near identical jurisdiction little need separate bodies superior courts westminster merged supreme_court act single high court justice order council issued december high_court ceased exist marking end history origin originally sole fixed court central administrative bodies formed king court composed advisers followed king travelled country dedicated court law instead descendant concert circuits staffed judges justice country operating fixed paths certain times judges members hear cases king behalf lesser gradually split distinct branches king bench academic discussion occurs circumstances times founding chronicler recorded henry_ii learned land men land great number justices eighteen chose counsel wise men kingdom private family decreed hear complaints kingdom right depart king court remain hear complaints men understanding come question brought conclusion presented royal hearing determined king men kingdom originally interpreted foundation king bench coming existence signing mandated section common pleas cases subject subject opposed cases involving king heard fixed place ensured source justice moving place place king fixed location defendants travel address problems later theory henry_ii decree created king bench king bench instead split common pleas later time 20th century better access historical documents legal historians come different conclusion common pleas created directly instead arose pleas body split beginning 13th century split began chronicles identify bench distinct bodies records justices common pleas distinct lack overlap superior courts sat westminster hall creation provisions bound sit story says refused court feet avoid draught north entrance fearing court sat space marked wooden bar counsel stood court officials sitting large oak table covered green cloth justices raised platform bench rear court struggle king bench 15th century common law courts challenged civil law equity found similar courts courts legal methods faster common law courts lawyers perceived threat common law courts good reason business common law courts significantly dropped cases rose massively number reaction bench developed faster system intent winning cases procedures bill middlesex acquired wider jurisdiction succeeded forming old common law courts new courts viewed suspicion highly changes king bench attempted introduce king bench attempted use bill middlesex widen jurisdiction common pleas increasingly conservative attempts avoid cases limited fact common pleas agree cut costs leaving court expensive limited king bench faster cheaper varied jurisdiction troubles period best illustrated case medieval common law claims seeking debt matters pursued writ debt common pleas problematic archaic process lawyers succeeded creating method enforced bench action technically legal fiction failing pay promising defendant committed liable conservative court court chamber began decisions king bench causing friction courts case chief justice king bench deliberately provoked common pleas bringing action higher court justices king bench vote allowing common pleas establish main contractual action death activist chief justice common pleas briefly led revolutionary court granted respite abolished fines original hurting king bench fines reinstated attorneys common pleas carried business king bench common pleas attempted reverse pushing act parliament abolish based legal forbidding special bail case true cause action expressed process king bench got act process true court continued use legal simply ensuring true cause action expressed process regardless correct bill disclosed true cause action satisfying statute require valid complaint caused severe friction court system chief justice common pleas eventually reached compromise allowing legal common pleas king bench unity dissolution outcome end charles_ii reign common law courts similar jurisdiction common pleas similar processes 18th century customary speak justices courts distinguishing cases shared equally complained jurisdiction bench example originally confined pleas crown extended actions violence actions force actions walls medium legal fiction adopted purpose authority person sued custody marshal court proceeded personal cause actions degrees court drawn actions belong able obtain peculiar subject king bench jurisdiction crown pleas adopted similar course originally confined trial revenue cases means fiction everybody sued crown pay debt party pay opened doors drawn right trying cases intended placed jurisdiction purpose speech illustrate courts identical jurisdiction unnecessary create situation best judges lawyers cases eventually court body leaving near useless actions brought king bench common pleas pleas surprisingly king bench judges common pleas judges fully occupied term engaged vacation barons comparatively little occupied term vacation response report committee investigating slow pace formed given wide investigate reform courts law legal profession reports issued march july dealing formation single considered influential report disposed previous idea merging common law equity instead suggested single supreme_court capable lord chancellor lord attempted bring recommendations law act parliament trouble consulting judiciary leader conservatives controlled house_of_lords bill ran strong opposition lawyers judges particularly replaced lord september second bill introduced consultation judiciary lines far detailed act finally passed supreme_court act merged common pleas king bench body divisions courts remain ceased exist high_court existence courts unified head constitutional law prevented compulsory retirement chief justices sheer chance lord chief justice england wales chief baron died allowing abolition december functions merged lord chief justice common pleas lord chief justice england wales jurisdiction common pleas jurisdiction common pleas cases king interest practice meant cases subject subject including actions taken recover debts property vast majority civil cases common pleas court shaped medieval common law court students went learn majority early case reports come common pleas court called lock key common law sir history court claims involving real property brought giving wider set precedent courts history law king advocates given rights audience performed judicial duties fines lord issued mandate opened pleading followed years successfully petitioned queen invalid enjoyed returned status years parliament intervened practitioners common pleas act august allowed practice 13th century onwards issue dependent documents usually originated sealed great seal king seal justices independent seal documents considered acceptable marked seal justices king created separate seal common pleas allowing process cases involving king court stood equal pleas court king bench relation transferring cases errors common pleas corrected king bench separate action brought thanks bill middlesex legal king bench gained common pleas jurisdiction common pleas remained sole place real property claims brought structure justices common pleas staffed number justices chief justice number justices time varied generally switching onwards number fixed changed 19th century provisions appointment respectively start 14th century justices appointed letters patent great seal held appointments pleasure king justices received judges pleas court king bench increased awarded retiring justices chief justice highest judicial officials england lord high chancellor lord chief justice king queen bench initially position chief justice appointment justices serving court respected peers considered chief justice position raising sir chief justice considered formally appointed role similar positions chief justice king bench chief baron chief justices required law appointed letters patent greeted lord chancellor inform new position letters patent read court new justice swear oath justice favour men pleading friends foes alike delay king command letters word mouth contrary receive king fee pension gift food drink great price innovation appointment letters patent scheme avoid potential providing method judges paid income supplemented work commissions goal deliveries justice receive fees parties court costs judicial offices justices assisted staff officials sat westminster hall kept offices chief clerk appointed crown practice matters handled deputy office royal favour judicial appointment crown appointed court responsible noting final filing records fines high ranking clerk clerk clerk attorney general england wales tasked recording protect interests king common law matters position replaced office clerk offices created reign henry_viii include clerk recorded debts secured office tasked receiving recording money coming court debts fines appointed technical knowledge important officers appointed chief justice second chief justice advice responsible records litigation including raised point law consulted court detailed technical knowledge chief justice appointed clerk clerk treasury known clerk hell clerk clerk fines officially chief justice clerk court officials appointed clerk responsible issuing tasked issuing controlling process declaring outlaw assigned set counties valuable london bristol exeter number processes year london handling documents year tradition yorkshire northern counties northumberland cumberland newcastle clerk king silver entire country thirteen shared counties according historical divisions tasked filing judicial counties transferring filing fourteenth appointed changes position abolition court warden fleet prison keeper tasked keeping clean letting shops sides despite acting pleas court star chamber duties warden considered officer court officers appointed life removed despite sheer number positions meant came chief justice tenure selling profitable
Court of Common Pleas (England)