Ecclesiastical Courts

Ecclesiastical Courts are Courts having only spiritual jurisdiction - that is, jurisdiction in ecclesiastical matters and in which the Canon Law is administered. [Canon Law.] They are: - (1) The two principal Courts of Canterbury and York : (2) The Court of Arches; (3) The Diocesan Courts of each Diocese [Arches, Archdeacon]; also several other courts which have either beceune obsolete or are not strictly juelicial tribunals - such as the Court of the Vicar-General and that of the Muster of the Faculties. [Vicar-General, Faculties.] The Privy Council is the supreme Court of Appeal in Ecclesiastical mutters. A large department of what was formerly ecclesiastical business - e.g. the granting of Probate of Wills and Administration - has now been swept away by the establishment of the Court of Probate. [Privy Council, Probate.] In Scotland the analogous institutions are the Kirk Sessions - Presbyteries, Synods, and General Assemblies. Dissenting bodies have both in England and Scotland courts or councils of their own.