Legal Definitions - Court of Regard

The Court of Regard was a historical legal body in medieval England, specifically a type of forest court. Its primary purpose was to oversee and protect the royal forests, ensuring their preservation and the conservation of game animals.

This court had two main areas of responsibility:

• Preventing Waste and Encroachment: It investigated and addressed instances of "waste," which involved unauthorized damage or destruction of forest resources (like felling trees or overgrazing). It also dealt with "encroachment" (also known as purpresture), which was the unauthorized appropriation or building on royal forest land.
• Regulating Dogs: To protect the deer and other game animals within the forest, the Court of Regard was responsible for ensuring that all mastiff-type dogs owned by residents within the forest had their claws removed or feet mutilated (a process historically called "expeditation"). This was a preventative measure to stop them from chasing or harming deer.

Here are some examples illustrating the function of a Court of Regard:

• Imagine a local farmer, hoping to expand their small agricultural plot, begins to clear a patch of trees just beyond their established property line, unknowingly pushing into the designated royal forest. Upon discovery, the Court of Regard would convene to investigate this "encroachment" or purpresture. The court would determine if the land was indeed part of the forest and could impose penalties, such as fines or order the removal of the new clearing, thereby illustrating its role in protecting forest boundaries from unauthorized appropriation.

• A group of villagers, needing more timber for construction or fuel, starts felling oak trees deep within the royal forest without obtaining the necessary royal license. Upon discovery by a forest warden, the individuals involved would be summoned before the Court of Regard. The court would assess the "waste" – the unauthorized destruction of valuable forest timber – and could levy significant fines or other punishments to deter future illegal logging, demonstrating its function in preventing resource depletion.

• A wealthy landowner living within the bounds of a royal forest acquires a new, powerful mastiff to guard his estate. During one of its periodic inspections, officials from the Court of Regard discover that the dog has not undergone the required "expeditation" (the historical process of having its claws removed or feet mutilated to prevent it from hunting deer). The landowner would be brought before the Court, which would then order the procedure to be carried out and potentially impose a fine, highlighting its responsibility for enforcing specific regulations to protect game animals.