Legal Definitions - High Court of Delegates

The High Court of Delegates was a court that served as the final court of appeal for admiralty and ecclesiastical matters in England. It was established in 1534 to replace the Papal Curia when the English Church broke away from the Papacy.

The Court was made up of six delegates who were appointed to hear only one case each. Usually, three of the delegates were trained in common law and three in civil law. However, this mixture often led to confused rulings and unreliable precedents, which ultimately hurt the Court's credibility and led to its dissolution in 1833.

As a result of the Court's unsatisfactory performance, its jurisdiction was transferred to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. This transfer was recommended by the Ecclesiastical Commission of 1832 in a special report.

For example, if there was a dispute over an ecclesiastical matter, such as the appointment of a bishop, the High Court of Delegates would have been the final court of appeal. Similarly, if there was a dispute over an admiralty matter, such as a shipwreck, the Court would have had jurisdiction to hear the case.