The courts of assize, or assizes, were periodic courts held around England and Wales until 1972, when together with the quarter sessions they were abolished by the Courts Act 1971 and replaced by a single permanent Crown Court.

What does Assizes mean in England?

1a : a judicial inquest. b : an action to be decided by such an inquest, the writ for instituting it, or the verdict or finding rendered by the jury. 2a : the former periodical sessions of the superior courts in English counties for trial of civil and criminal cases —usually used in plural.

What does Nisi Prius mean in law?

Nisi prius (also called court of original jurisdiction) is a Latin phrase translated to “unless before” in English, and the term refers to disputes from a trial court or lower court in American law.