Court of Chancery (Ireland)
Court of Chancery | |
---|---|
Established | 1292 |
Dissolved | 1877 |
Location | Dublin, from 18th century within Four Courts, Inns Quay |
Lord Chancellor of Ireland |
The Court of Chancery was a court which exercised equitable jurisdiction in Ireland until its abolition as part of the reform of the court system in 1877. It was the court in which the Lord Chancellor of Ireland presided. Its final sitting place was at the Four Courts in Dublin, which still stands.
History
The Chancery in Ireland was set up in
Lord Chancellor of Ireland
In the early centuries of the office, the Lord Chancellor was a senior cleric, usually though not invariably an Englishman by birth.[2] In the 15th and 16th centuries, a nobleman sometimes held the office, acting through a deputy. From the Reformation on, he was usually a trained lawyer, though the practice of appointing a senior cleric only ended with Michael Boyle, Archbishop of Armagh, who retired in 1686.
In addition to his judicial functions, the Lord Chancellor had a key political role. Until the Acts of Union 1800, he was Speaker of the Irish House of Lords even though he often did not hold a peerage. After the Union, he was still required to advise both British and Irish Governments on a range of political and legal matters. He was often called on to steer legislation through the House of Lords: Lord O'Hagan was created a peer so that he might assist in passing the Supreme Court of Judicature Act.
Other office-holders
The office of
In 1867 a new office of Vice-Chancellor was created to assist the Master of the Rolls at first instance. It was abolished in 1904; throughout its existence, the office was only held by one man, Hedges Eyre Chatterton.
The
Business of the Court
Originally the Lord Chancellor was "keeper of the king's conscience", charged with giving relief in any case where the
O'Flanagan,
Apart from the ordinary business of the Court, certain functions were reserved to the Lord Chancellor: care of minors and
References
Sources
- Commissioners of Inquiry into Courts of Justice in Ireland (1817). First report (Chancery) with appendix. Sessional papers. Vol. 10 9. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
Citations
- ^ Illustrated Dictionary of Irish History. Mac Annaidh, S (ed). Gill and Macmillan, Dublin. 2001
- ^ O'Flanagan, J. Roderick Lives of the Lord Chancellors and Keepers of the Great Seal in Ireland 2 Volumes London 1870
- ^ Ball, F. Elrington The Judges in Ireland 1221-1921 John Murray London 1926
- ^ Chancery Appeal Court (Ireland) Act 1856 19 & 20 Vict. c. 92 Archived 25 September 2021 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ O'Flanagan Lives of the Irish Chancellors
- ^ Courts of Justice Act 1924 s.19
- ^ Courts of Justice Act 1936 s.9
- ^ Solicitors (Amendment) Act 1960 s.25