Legal Definitions - Archdeacon's Court

The Archdeacon's Court, also known as the Court of Archdeacon or Archdiaconal Court, was an ecclesiastical court that had jurisdiction over cases arising within the archdeaconry and probate matters. It was an inferior court, and appeals were made to the Bishop's Court. The Court of Archdeacon was abolished in 1967.

An example of a case that would have been heard in the Archdeacon's Court is a dispute over the ownership of a church property within the archdeaconry. Another example is a probate matter, such as the distribution of a deceased person's estate within the archdeaconry.

These examples illustrate how the Archdeacon's Court had jurisdiction over cases that were specific to the archdeaconry, which was a geographical area within a diocese that was overseen by an archdeacon.