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Simple English definitions for legal terms
Queen's Bench
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A quick definition of Queen's Bench:
Queen's Bench is a court in the United Kingdom that deals with many different types of cases, such as contracts, human rights, and debt collection. It is the largest division of the High Court and has 73 judges. The court can hear cases in the Strand or in a District Registry. The President of the Queen's Bench leads the court. Decisions from the court can be appealed to the Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court. The court has a long history, going back to William the Conqueror, and has changed over time. It used to be called the King's Bench and was one of several courts that merged into the High Court of Justice in the 1870s. Today, the Queen's Bench has different types of jurisdiction and includes special courts like the Administrative Court and the Commercial Court.
A more thorough explanation:
Queen’s Bench is a divisional court in the United Kingdom’s High Court that serves as a court of original and appellate jurisdiction. It covers a wide range of cases from contracts and torts to more specific areas of law. The court is the largest division of the High Court, consisting of 73 judges and headed by the President of the Queen’s Bench.
For example, the court hears cases regarding torts, breach of contract, human rights, and debt collection. It also has original jurisdiction over some important issues such as the enrollment of deeds, application for bail in criminal proceedings, and obtaining evidence from foreign courts. Additionally, the Queen’s Bench is composed of special courts which have their own jurisdiction and procedures: the Administrative Court, the Commercial Court, the Circuit Commercial Courts, the Technology and Construction Court, and the Admiralty Court.
The Queen’s Bench has a long and complex history going all the way back to William the Conqueror. As established by the Magna Carta, the Royal Court had jurisdiction over cases heard before the King which, in parts of the 12th and 13th centuries, could be around the country or at Westminster, literally wherever the King was located. Over the next few hundred years, the distinctions between the King’s Bench, Common Pleas, Exchequer, and Chancery blurred, causing a variety of issues that led to all of the courts being merged into the High Court of Justice in the 1870s. This ended the Queen’s Bench in its original form and resulted in the modern Queen’s Bench Division of the High Court.