Legal Definitions - King's Court

Definition: King's Court, also known as Curia Regis, was the chief court in early Norman England established by William the Conqueror. It was a body of advisers who traveled with the king, advising him on political matters and acting as an appellate court in important or complicated cases. Over time, the functions of the Curia Regis became exclusively judicial in nature.

Examples:

• During the reign of Henry I, the Curia Regis was sent into the counties to collect taxes and to hold pleas. They were then known as justitiarii errantes or traveling justices.
• The sessions of the Curia Regis were not a specific court of law, but rather the descendant of the Anglo-Saxon witengemot and the ancestor of the king's council which later subdivided into parliament and the privy council.

These examples illustrate how the Curia Regis was a group of advisers who traveled with the king and acted as a court of law. They were responsible for collecting taxes and holding pleas in the counties. The sessions of the Curia Regis were not a specific court of law, but rather a precursor to the king's council, which later became parliament and the privy council.