Legal Definitions - Court of Requests

The Court of Requests was a royal court that had jurisdiction over civil cases and some quasi-criminal cases like forgery and rioting. It was established in 1483 and was part of the Privy Council. The court was disbanded in 1641 when Parliament limited the judicial functions of the Privy Council.

The court was created to handle the increasing judicial workload of the Council and the Chancery during the Tudor period. The legal assessors of the court, known as Masters of Requests, took over control of the court from the end of Henry VIII's reign onwards, making it a separate court from the Court of Star Chamber.

Example: If someone was accused of forgery, they could be brought before the Court of Requests to face trial. The court would hear evidence and decide whether the accused was guilty or not. If found guilty, the court would impose a punishment, such as a fine or imprisonment.

Example: If two people were in a dispute over a piece of land, they could bring their case before the Court of Requests. The court would hear both sides of the argument and make a decision on who had the legal right to the land.

These examples illustrate how the Court of Requests had jurisdiction over civil cases and some quasi-criminal cases. It was responsible for hearing evidence, making decisions, and imposing punishments.