KING'S BENCH

One of the ancient courts of England, the Queen's Bench (or King's Bench when the monarch is male) is now a division of the High Court of Justice of England and Wales. Sub-divisions include the Commercial Court, the Admiralty Court and the Administrative Court. It is also the name of the superior court in several Canadian provinces (Saskatchewan, Alberta, New Brunswick, and Manitoba).
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Formerly, the highest court of common law in England; -- so called because the king used to sit there in person. It consisted of a chief justice and four puisne, or junior, justices. During the reign of a queen it was called the Queen's Bench. Its jurisdiction was transferred by the judicature acts of 1873 and 1875 to the high court of justice created by that legislation.
  

The name of the supreme court of law in England. It is so called because formerly the king used to sit there in person, the style of the court being still coram ipso rege, before the king himself. During the reign of a queen, it is called the Queen's Bench, and during the protectorate of Cromwell it was called the Upper Bench. It consists of a chief justices and three other judges who are, by their office, the principal coroners and conservators of the peace.

This court has jurisdiction in criminal matters, in civil causes, and is a supervisory tribunal to keep other jurisdictions within their proper bounds.

Its criminal jurisdiction extends over all offenders, and not only over an capital offences but also over another misdemeanors of a public nature; it being considered the custos morum of the realm. Its jurisdiction is so universal that an act of parliament appointing that all crimes of a certain denomination shall be tried before certain judges, does not exclude the jurisdiction of this court, without negative words. It may also proceed on indictments removed into that court out of the inferior courts by certiorari.

Its civil jurisdiction is against the officers or ministers of the court entitled to its privilege, and against prisoners for trespasses. In these last cases a declaration may be filed against them in debt, covenant or account,done also upon the notion of a privilege, because the common pleas could not obtain or procure the prisoners of the king's bench to appear in their court.

Its supervisory powers extend, 1. To issuing writs of error to inferior jurisdictions, and affirming or reversing their judgments. 2. To issuing writs of mandamus to compel inferior officers and courts to perform the duties required of them by law.
   

This entry contains material from Bouvier's Legal Dictionary, a work published in the 1850's.