Forest Courts - Definition - Law Dictionary Home Dictionary Definition forest-courts

Definition :

Forest Courts, fallen into absolute desuetude. They were instituted for the government of the royal forests in different parts of the kingdom, and for the punishment of all injuries done to the deer or venison, to the vert or greensward, and to the covert in which such deer were lodged. They consisted of the Courts of attachments, regard, sweinmote, and justice-seat. The Court of attachments, woodmote, or forty days' Court, was held before the verderers of the forest once in every forty days, to inquire into all offences against vert and venison. The Court of regard, or survey of dogs, held every third year, for the expeditation of mastiffs. The Court of sweinmote, held before the verderers thrice in every year, the sweins or freeholders within the forest composing the jury. It inquired into the oppressions and grievances committed by the officers of the forest, and tied presentments certified from the Court of attachments against offences in vert and venison. The Court of justice-seat, held before the chief itinerant judge, or his deputy, to hear and determine all trespasses within the forest, and claims of franchise, etc., therein arising. This was a Court of Record; but since the Revolution, in 1688, the forest laws have fallen into total disuse, 3 Steph. Com.