High Courtn.
/ˌhʌɪ ˈkɔːt/, U.S. /ˌhaɪ ˈkɔrt/ 1. A chief or principal court; spec. an executive, legislative, or judicial body having the highest authority in a place or organization; a supreme court.
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > rule or government > ruler or governor > deliberative, legislative, or administrative assembly > governing or legislative body of a nation or community > English or British parliament > [noun]
High Courtc1300
parliamentc1390
Westminster1845
Mother of Parliaments1865
c1300 Havelok (Laud) (1868) l. 1685 Vn-to þe heye curt he y[e]de [MS yde].
1435 Rolls of Parl.: Henry VI (Electronic ed.) Parl. Oct. 1435 §21. m. 3 All the high courtes of the kyng oure soverain lorde, been sette and holden in the seide shire.
1529 T. More Supplyc. Soulys i. f. ixv He suede your wrytt of premunire agaynst a prest that wrongfully held hym in ple in a spyrytuall courte, for a mater wherof the knowlege bylonged vnto your hyghe courtes.
1587 J. Hooker Chron. Ireland 151/2 in Holinshed's Chron. (new ed.) II Hir maiesties principall and high courts, to answer the law to all sutors throughout the whole realme.
1620 R. Whitbourne Disc. & Discov. New-found-land Pref. sig. C I returned againe to New-found-land, carrying with me a Commission out of the high Court of Admiraltie, vnder the great Seale thereof, authorising me to empannell Iuries.
1650 H. Robinson Certain Considerations Ep. Ded. sig. A2 The passing of those long expected Resolves of this High Court for the Englishing both of our Lawes and Proceedings in all Courts of Justice.
1702 Clarendon's Hist. Rebellion I. iii. 223 Thus fell that High Court [sc. the star-chamber], a great Branch of the Prerogative.
1790 A. J. Dallas (title) Reports of cases adjudged in the Courts of Pennsylvania, namely, the Common Pleas, Supreme Court, and the High Court of Errors and Appeals.
1811 J. Black tr. A. von Humboldt Polit. Ess. New Spain I. 247 Families suspected of being of mixed blood demand from the high court..to have it declared that they belong to the whites.
1883 Sat. Rev. 10 Feb. 170/2 Englishmen are now triable for all kinds of misdemeanours and crimes..in the High Court at Allahabad.
1907 India Office List 191 Puisne Judges of a High Court.
1962 3rd Statist. Acct. Scotl. 82 There is no High Court in the county and all ‘Pleas of the Crown’ must be heard in the High Court of Justiciary in Glasgow or Edinburgh.
2012 New Yorker 9 Apr. 40/1 In 2002, in a copyright case before the German Federal High Court, it was held that Winnetou was no longer a mere character in a novel.
2. spec. With the. In England and Wales: = High Court of Justice n. at Phrases 3.
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society > law > administration of justice > judicial body, assembly, or court > [noun] > court for trial of civil cases
common courtc1400
Common Bench1414
Common Place?1433
Common Pleas1531
College of Justice1537
civil court1567
Common Bank1647
High Court1896
1896 Church Times 13 Nov. 521/1 The High Court would grant an injunction against the trustees.
1897 Westm. Gaz. 13 Apr. 2/1 It is difficult to grasp any plausible reason for the continued refusal..to give to County Courts equal jurisdiction to that enjoyed by the High Court.
1929 Encycl. Brit. IX. 494/2 A foreclosure action is brought by the mortgagee against the mortgagor in the chancery division of the High Court in England.
1972 Daily Tel. 30 Mar. 3/1 A company whose cosmetic business is said to involve ‘pyramid selling’..was banned in the High Court yesterday from operating its bank account.
2011 Independent 18 June 10/1 A school's decision to ban a pupil who refused to change his cornrow hairstyle was discriminatory and unlawful, the High Court ruled yesterday.
Phrases
P1.
High Court of (†the) Parliament n. (a formal name for) the Parliament of the United Kingdom (or formerly that of England or Great Britain). Cf. court n.1 10. Now chiefly historical.Originally applied to the two Houses of Parliament in session considered collectively, and in later use chiefly applied to Parliament considered in its judicial capacity.
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society > law > administration of justice > judicial body, assembly, or court > [noun] > high court
High Court of Parliament1399
High Justice1654
Sudder1834
palace of justice1835
Supreme Court1888
Crown Court1970
1399 Rolls of Parl.: Henry IV (Electronic ed.) Parl. Oct. 1399 Pleas §9. m. 2 In this heghe court of the parlement.
1450 Impeachm. Duke of Suffolk in Paston Lett. (1904) II. 126 We..pray that this be enacte in this your High Courte of Parlement.
1529 T. More Supplyc. Soulys i. f. xiiiv Thys gay inuencyon of thys beggers proctour, yt he fayneth the kyngs hyghnes to be in hys hygh courte of parlyament more weke and feble then the clergye, ys a feble deuyce.
1548 Order of Communion sig. A.ij For so much as in oure hyghe Courte of Parliament, lately holden at Westmynster..wyth the consent of the Lordes spirituall & temporall, and Commons there assembled.
1600 W. Shakespeare Henry IV, Pt. 2 v. ii. 133 Now call we our high court of parliament, And let vs chuse such limbs of noble counsaile. View more context for this quotation
1643 W. Laud Copy of Petition Houses of Parl. sig. A4 Your Petitioner therefore humbly beseeches, that..this grave and Honourable Councill, now Assembled in high Court of Parliament would looke upon him in mercy.
1704 J. Brydall Privilegia Magnatum apud Anglos 8 Tho' in the High Court of Parliament, our Temporal Barons may give their Votes by Procuracy, or Proxy.
1761 F. Sheridan Mem. Miss Sidney Bidulph II. 139 He tells me he has an uncle that is a marquis, and three or four cousins that are in the high court of parliament.
1839 Charter 8 Sept. 523/3 The Judges resolved that they had no power to determine..the privileges of the High Court of Parliament.
1884 Cent. Mag. Dec. 176/1 A surpliced choir were chaunting faint amens to faint prayers for the high court of Parliament and the Lord Lieutenant.
1931 P. Howard Criminal Justice in Eng. v. 286 The High Court of Parliament also has jurisdiction to try any peer against whom an indictment for treason or felony..has been found.
2008 Virginia Law Rev. 94 594 There was one court even more powerful and highly regarded: the high court of Parliament.
P2.
High Court of Chancery n. now historical = chancery n. 2a.
ΚΠ
?1564 Anno quinto reginæ Elizabethe (new ed.) f. 58 From & after the first day of May next comyng, euery writte of Excomunicado capiendo that shalbe graunted and awarded out of the hygh Courte of Chauncery..shalbe made in the time of the Terme.
1655 N. Burt Advice sent in Let. 1 Severall Practisers pretending Equitie and Conscience in the High Court of Chancery, and that unsetled, irregular unlimmited Court of Probates.
1756 London Gaz. No. 9636/2 The Office of Making, Writing and Ingrossing all Writs of Subpœna issuing out of His Majesty's High Court of Chancery.
1883 Rules Supreme Court i. i All actions which..were commenced by bill or information in the High Court of Chancery..shall be instituted in the High Court of Justice by a proceeding to be called an action.
1926 Rev. Eng. Stud. 2 165 Certain suits brought in the High Court of Chancery also bear direct relation to George's alleged disinheritance.
2012 Sunday Express (Nexis) 4 Nov. 68 Erddig was bought and enlarged by John Meller, Master of the High Court of Chancery in 1718.
P3.
High Court of Justice n. a supreme court of law; spec. (in England and Wales) the court of unlimited civil jurisdiction, comprising three divisions: Queen's (or King's) Bench, Chancery, and the Family Division.In the specific sense, the High Court of Justice of England and Wales was established in 1873 (see quot. 1873).
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a1601 W. Lambarde Archion (1635) 19 I gather..that the King himselfe had a High Court of Justice.
1663 J. Heath Hist. Cromwell 12 [Cromwell] packs up a Juncto of Army Blades..who constitute a High Court of Justice.
1765 D. Fenning et al. New Syst. Geogr. (new ed.) II. i. xxi. 289/1 The provinces of Holland and Zealand have always been so strictly united, as to have but one common high court of justice.
1804 R. Percival Acct. Cape of Good Hope 110 The high court of Justice is held in the Stadthouse.
1873 Act 36 & 37 Victoria c. 66 §4 The said Supreme Court shall consist of two permanent Divisions, one of which, under the name of ‘Her Majesty's High Court of Justice’, shall have and exercise original jurisdiction.
1910 Encycl. Brit. I. 205/2 The Irish court has in like manner become a part of the High Court of Justice in Ireland by virtue of the Judicature Act passed in 1877.
1952 Official Gaz. (Kenya) 12 Feb. 205/2 Grant of letters of administration with will annexed issued by the Principal Probate Registry of His Majesty's High Court of Justice in England..on the 24th day of November, 1951.
2006 E. Bohne Quest Environmental Regulatory Integration in European Union xiv. 433 Superior courts are the High Court of Justice.., the Court of Appeal, the Crown Court..and the House of Lords.
P4.
High Court of Justiciary n. the supreme criminal tribunal of Scotland; the court in which this sits.
ΚΠ
1720 Criminal Process against Sir A. Anstruther 24 Supposing the Case to fall under the Act of Parliament, the Jurisdiction of the High Court of Justiciary would not be founded.
1749 Regulations proposed Sheriff & Stewart Courts N. Brit. 21 By act of adjournal of the high court of justiciary, of date the 21st July 1749, all parties who enter appeals [etc.].
1830 W. Chambers Bk. Scotl. 123 The High Court of Justiciary, instituted 1672, is the supreme criminal judicatory in Scotland.
1899 Clin. Jrnl. 22 Feb. 300/2 Madeline Smith was put upon her trial before the High Court of Justitiary in Edinburgh, charged with the murder of her quondam lover.
1962 3rd Statist. Acct. Scotl. 82 There is no High Court in the county and all ‘Pleas of the Crown’ must be heard in the High Court of Justiciary in Glasgow or Edinburgh.
1992 D. Pannick Advocates iii. 63 In 1978, the Scottish High Court of Justiciary harshly upheld a fine of £25 imposed on a solicitor advocate.
Compounds
General attributive, as High Court action, High Court decision, High Court judge, etc.
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a1634 J. Day Parl. Bees (Lansd. 725) xii. f. 32 Obron in his Star chamber sitts Sends Sub-pena's highe court writts.
1689 New Protestant Litany sig. A From High Court Commissions, to Rome to Rejoyn us..Libera Nos.
a1734 R. North in Hist. Wks. Learned Oct. (1742) 288 He was a great Voluptuary, and Companion of the High Court Rakes.
1847 Munic. Gaz. (N.Y.) 12 Jan. 629/3 As the elected officers form a very large majority of the Court, it may be said that our high court decisions are now made by elected Judges.
1865 Allen's Indian Mail 16 Feb. 115/3 The respondent will have to appear in person before a High Court judge in the Presidency town.
1890 Rep. Chief Registrar Friendly Soc. 31 The first ‘High Court meeting’ was held at Salford in that year [sc. 1835].
1935 Encycl. Sports, Games & Pastimes 321/1 In the February of 1933, following a High Court decision..these machines ceased to operate.
1971 Times 24 June 3/8 Southwark council was granted possession orders against nine families squatting in eight properties in the borough in a High Court action.
1996 Outlook (New Delhi) 28 Aug. 10/3 A high court judgement absolving him had initially given him the high moral ground, but it was swiftly set aside by the Supreme Court.
2012 Independent 9 June 2/2 (heading) Woman wins High Court battle after being abused by internet ‘trolls’.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2014; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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