Court of King's Bench / Court of Queen's Bench

Court of King's Bench, 15th-c. MS.
Courtesy of Inner Temple Library.

The Court of King's Bench was the highest court of law in England during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. It was called 'the Queen's Bench' during the reign of Elizabeth I, and 'the Upper Bench' during Cromwell's Protectorate. Along with the Court of Common Pleas, it was one of the two King's courts residing in Westminster Hall. Originally, it was the principal court for criminal cases and the place to hear disputes between the citizens and the King. It gradually became a civil court, alongside the Court of Common Pleas, serving also as an appellate court that had the jurisdiction to uphold or overturn judgments made in the Court of Common Pleas. It is now a division of the High Court of Justice.

Books for further study:

Bellamy, John G. Criminal law and society in late medieval and Tudor England.
           New York : St. Martin's Press, 1984.

Blatcher, Marjorie. The Court of King's Bench, 1450-1550 : A Study in Self-Help.
           London: University of London, the Athlone Press, 1978. Repr. 1990.

Maitland, Frederic William. English Law and the Renaissance.
           Cambridge: University Press, 1901.
           (Repr. The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd., 2000)

Potter, Harold. An Historical Introduction to English Law and Its Institutions.
          London : Sweet & Maxwell, 1932. (4th ed. 1958)

Article Citation:

Jokinen, Anniina. “Court of King's Bench.” Luminarium.
13 Apr 2009. [Date when you accessed the page].
<https://www.luminarium.org/encyclopedia/kingsbench.htm>

to Early 17th Century English Literature

Manuscript illustration of King's Bench copyright © Inner Temple Library. Used with Permission.

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Created by Anniina Jokinen on February 19, 2002. Last updated October 15, 2022.