Instance Court
The Cyclopedic Law Dictionary · Walter A. Shumaker and George Foster Longsdorf; ed. James C. Cahill · 1922
The Cyclopedic Law Dictionary
In English law
That branch of the admiralty court which has the jurisdiction of all matters except those relating to prizes. An "instance court" takes cognizance of contracts made and injuries committed on the high seas; a "prize court" has jurisdiction of prizes, etc.
18 Johns. (N. Y.) 257.
The term is sometimes used in American law for purposes of explanation, but has no proper application to admiralty courts in the United States, where the powers of both instance and prize courts are conferred without any distinction.
3 Dall. (U. S.) 6; 1 Gall. (U. S.) 563; 3 Kent, Comm. 355, 378.
See "Admiralty."
See Admiralty.