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Simple English definitions for legal terms
Clerk of the Peace
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A quick definition of Clerk of the Peace:
A Clerk of the Peace is a historical officer responsible for keeping records, preparing legal documents, and performing administrative tasks for the Quarter Sessions court. This court was responsible for trying certain criminal and civil matters in England until it was replaced by the Crown Court system in 1971. The Clerk of the Peace was an important figure in the court, but their role no longer exists in modern legal systems.
A more thorough explanation:
A Clerk of the Peace is a historical officer of the Quarter Sessions responsible for maintaining the court's records, preparing indictments, entering judgments, issuing process, and other clerical and administrative functions. The office was abolished in England in 1971 when the Quarter Sessions' jurisdiction was transferred to the Crown Courts.
For example, a Clerk of the Peace would have been responsible for keeping track of all the court's paperwork, such as indictments and judgments, and ensuring that everything was properly recorded and filed.