Court-leet

In English Law. A court of record for a particular hundred, lordship, or manor, holden therein before the steward of the leet, for the punishment of petty offences and the preservation of the peace. Kitchin, Courts Leet. The Sheriff's Tourn (q. v.) was the Grand Court Leet for the county. The privilege of holding them was a franchise subsisting in the lord of the manor by prescription or charter, and might be lost by disuse. The court leet had a limited criminal jurisdiction. For some offences of a lower order, punishment by fines, extents, or other means might be inflicted. For the higher crimes, they either found indictments which were to be tried by the higher courts, or made presentment of the case to such higher tribunals. They also took view of frankpledge. Among other duties for the keeping of the peace, the court assisted in the election of, or, in some cases, elected certain municipal officers in the borough to which the leet was appended. A court leet is still held in many manors and a few boroughs in England; Odgers, C. L. 965. Powell, Courts Leet; 1 Reeve, Hist. Eng. Law; Inderwick, King's Peace 11; 1 Poll. & Maitl. 568; 4 Steph. Com. 306.

Thename ofan English court of record held once in the year, and not oftener, within a particular hundred, lordship, or manor, before the steward of tha leet; being the king’s court granted by char. ter to Lhe lords of these hundreds or manors, Its oflice was Lo view the frankpledyes,—that is, the freemen within the liberty; to present by jury crimes happening within the juris diction; and to punish trivial misdemeanors. It has now, however, for the most part, fallen into total desuetude; though in some manors a court-leet is still periodically held for the transaction of the administrative business of the manor. Mozley & Whitley,

[L. Lat. curia leta; the court of the leet.] A court of record in England, held once or twice in every year within a particular hundred, lordship, or manor before the steward of the leet, for the preservation of the peace, and the punishment of all trivial misdemeanors. Its original intent was to view the frankpledges, that is, the freemen of the liberty who anciently were all mutually pledges for the good behaviour of each other; and hence it was called, by the Anglo-Normans, the view of frank pledge, (visus franci plegii.) 4 Bl. Com. 273. Spelman, voc. Leta. 4 Inst. 261. Mirr. c. 1, § 10. 2 Hawk. P. C. 72. 1 Crabb's Real Prop. 496, § 687, et seq. Tomlins. It has, however, latterly fallen into almost total desuetude, its business having, for the most part, gradually devolved upon the quarter sessions. 4 Steph. Com. 340. See Leet, Frankpledge, View of frankpledge.