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Publications Online

A Cautious Beginning: The Court of Civil Jurisdiction 1791
by Christopher English and Christopher Curran

A Cautious Beginning covers the evolution of written law from the rule of the fishing admirals, through King William's Act of 1699 and Palliser's Act of 1775, culminating with the Judicature Act of 1791. It analyzes the impact of the new constitution and the introduction of a Chief Justice and Court of Civil Jurisdiction in 1791. Taken together, these sections offer a comprehensive account of a momentous yet misunderstood chapter in Newfoundland history.

Down North on the Labrador Circuit: The Court of Civil Jurisdiction 1826 to 1833
by Nina Jane Goudie

In 1824 an Act “...for the Better Administration of Justice in Newfoundland” was passed introducing a new system of itinerant courts in Newfoundland and instituting a Court of Civil Jurisdiction on the Coast of Labrador. The Labrador court lasted only until 1834 when it was formally discontinued through an Act passed by the newly formed House of Assembly. Down North on the Labrador Circuit examines the unique challenges of the administration of justice in Labrador while the court was in existence.

Updated July, 2005.







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