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Simple English definitions for legal terms
franchise court
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A quick definition of franchise court:
A franchise court is a type of court that existed in the past. It was a privately held court that had the power to make decisions about different things, depending on what the court was allowed to do. These courts were usually owned by wealthy people who had been given permission to have their own court by the king or queen. However, in 1274, the king made a law that said these courts could only exist if the owner could prove they had permission to have one. If they couldn't prove it, the court was shut down. These courts were sometimes used to make money by charging fees and fines.
A more thorough explanation:
A franchise court is a type of court that was historically privately held and existed by virtue of a royal grant. These courts had jurisdiction over a variety of matters, depending on the grant and whatever powers the court acquired over time.
For example, in 1274, Edward I abolished many of these feudal courts by forcing the nobility to demonstrate by what authority (quo warranto) they held court. If a lord could not produce a charter reflecting the franchise, the court was abolished.
Franchise courts were often held by feudal lords and were sometimes based on old pre-Conquest grants. However, many of them were wrongful usurpations of private jurisdiction by powerful lords. These were put down after the famous Quo Warranto enquiry in the reign of Edward I.
Overall, franchise courts were a way for feudal lords to dispense justice and make a profit from fees, dues, fines, and amercements.