JUSTICIARY

justiciary

(noun) the jurisdiction of a justiciar

justiciar, justiciary

(noun) formerly a high judicial officer

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

justiciary (plural justiciaries)

(Scotland, countable, chiefly historical) A judgeship: a judge's jurisdiction, power, or office.

(Originally Scotland, uncountable) The judiciary: a collective term for the court system or the body of judges, justices etc.

(historical) One who administers justice, particularly:

(historical) A judge or justice.

(historical) A magistrate.

(historical) A Chief Justiciar: the highest political and judicial officer of the Kingdom of England in the 12th and 13th centuries.

(historical) A justiciar: a high-ranking judicial officer of medieval England or Scotland.

(historical) Various equivalent medieval offices elsewhere in Europe.

(Christian, theology) A believer in the doctrine (or heresy) that adherence to religious law redeems mankind before God.

Synonyms

• (The jurisdiction, power, or office of a judge): See judgeship

• (The collective body of judges): See judiciary

• (One who administers justice): justicer, justiciar

• (A judge): See judge

• (The chief judicial officer of medieval England): See judiciar

• (Proponent of a theological doctrine): See legalist

Adjective

justiciary (comparative more justiciary, superlative most justiciary)

(Christian, theology, obsolete) Of or relating to justification or redemption before God.

(Christian, theology, obsolete) Of or relating to the doctrine (or heresy) that adherence to religious law redeems mankind before God.

Judicial: of or relating to the administration of justice, judges, or judgeships.

Of or relating to the High Court of Justiciary.

Of or relating to a circuit court held by one of the judges of the High Court of Justiciary.

Synonyms

• (theological senses): See legalist

• (judicial): See judicial

Source: Wiktionary


Jus*ti"ci*a*ry, n. Etym: [Cf. LL. justitiarius, F. justicier. See Justice.] (Old Eng. Law)

Definition: An old name for the judges of the higher English courts.

Note: The chief justiciary, or justiciar, in early English history, was not only the chief justice of the kingdom, but also ex officio regent in the king's absence. Court of justiciary (Scots Law), the supreme criminal court, having jurisdiction over the whole of Scotland.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

28 February 2025

PRESCRIPTIVE

(adjective) pertaining to giving directives or rules; “prescriptive grammar is concerned with norms of or rules for correct usage”


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