Monial Causes

In English Law. A court which had the jurisdiction formerly exercised by the ecclesiastical courts in respect of divorces a menea et thoro, suits o£ nullity of marriage, suits of jactitation of marriage, suits for restitution of conjugal rights, and all suits, causes, and matters matrimonial. It consisted of the lord chancellor and the justices of the queen's bench, the common pleas, the exchequer, and the judge of the court of probate, who was entitled judge ordinary. The judge ordinary exercised all the powers of the court, except petitions for dissolving or annulling marriages and applications for new trials of matters of fact, bills of exception, special verdict and special cases, for hearing which excepted cases he mnst be joined by two of the other judges. Provision was made for his absence by authorizing the lord chancellor to appoint one of certain judicial persons to act in such absence. Juries were summoned to try matters of fact, and such trials were conducted in the same manner as jury trials at common law. It is now merged in the High Court of Justice. See Courts of England. COURT OF THE DUCHY OF LANCAS-