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Vice-chancellor's Court

The office of vice-chancellor is of very modern creation. The duty is to assist the chancellor in deciding various petitions, &c. A handsome new court has recently been built contiguous to Lincoln's inn hall. In term time his honour is obliged to put up with one of the committee-rooms belonging to the house of commons; but he has not done so without very properly complaining. Sir T. Plumer first filled the office; Sir J. Leach, who is considered by many as likely to succeed to the wool-sack, is the second: he is the present vice-chancellor. He has greatly improved the mode of conducting the business of his court. As the barristers may be returned in suits proceeding before the chancellor, as well as his honour, much interruption of the public business used to be experienced in consequence of the engagement of a counsellor in one court when he was wanted in the other; but his honour has made a rule, the propriety of which the bar has admitted, that where the parties are not ready to proceed, the cause shall be struck out of the paper, and placed at the bottom of the list. This will be of incalculable benefit to the suitors in preventing delay. It will compel the gentlemen of the bar to decide in which court they choose to practise; ad Mr. Bell, of great celebrity in chancery, has led the way by determining for the vice-chancellor's court, stating, that he could no longer divide himself between two courts, and make "lying speeches." This will attach a set of gentlemen to each court, and without such regulation the business could never be well conducted; it is a fundamental principle of the constitution, that justice shalt not be delayed.

Related pages:

Introduction

Lord Chancellor's Court

Rolls

Exchequer's

King's Bench

Common Pleas

Exchequer Chamber

Courts of Requests

Court of Admiralty

Doctors' Common

Insolvent Debtors' Court

Law Proceedings

Mode of making a Judge

Old Bailey Sessions

Inns of Court

The Temple, Inner, Middle

Lincoln's Inn

Gray's Inn

The Inns of Chancery

Source: Leigh's New Picture of London. Printed for Samuel Leigh, 18, Strand;
by W. Clowes, Northumberland Court. 1819