Legal Definitions - Chief Justice of the Common Pleas

Definition: The Chief Justice of the Common Pleas was the presiding judge in the Court of Common Pleas in the past. However, after the Judicature Act of 1875, the Court of Common Pleas was reduced to the Common Pleas Division. The last Chief Justice of the Common Pleas was Lord Coleridge, who was appointed as the Lord Chief Justice of England in 1881. This merger combined the Common Pleas Division and the Queen's Bench Division, and the Lord Chief Justice of England now holds the powers that were previously held by the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas.

Example: In the past, the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas was responsible for presiding over cases in the Court of Common Pleas. However, after the Judicature Act of 1875, the court was reduced to the Common Pleas Division, and the last Chief Justice of the Common Pleas was Lord Coleridge.

Explanation: This example illustrates how the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas was responsible for presiding over cases in the Court of Common Pleas before it was reduced to the Common Pleas Division. It also shows how Lord Coleridge was the last Chief Justice of the Common Pleas before the merger with the Queen's Bench Division.