Ordinary
The Cyclopedic Law Dictionary · Walter A. Shumaker and George Foster Longsdorf; ed. James C. Cahill · 1922
The Cyclopedic Law Dictionary
In ecclesiastical law
An officer who, has original jurisdiction in his own right, and not by deputation. In England, the ordinary is an officer who has immediate jurisdiction in ecclesiastical causes.
Co. Litt. 344.
In the United States, the ordinary possesses, in those states where such officer exists, powers vested in him by the constitution and acts of the legislature. In South Carolina, the ordinary is a judicial officer.
1 Const. (S. C.) 267; 2 Const. (S. C.) 884.