Legal Definitions - Court of the Lord High Steward of the Universities

COURT OF THE LORD HIGH STEWARD OF THE UNIVERSITIES

The Court of the Lord High Steward of the Universities was a court that was used to try scholars, particularly those from Oxford or Cambridge, who had been accused of serious crimes such as treason, felony, or mayhem.

One example of a case that might have been heard in the Court of the Lord High Steward of the Universities would be if a student from Oxford was accused of plotting against the king. Another example might be if a Cambridge student was accused of committing a violent assault on another person.

These examples illustrate how the court was used to try serious crimes committed by scholars. The court was only used in cases where the accused was a student at one of the universities, and the crimes had to be particularly severe to warrant a trial in this court.