(King's Bench) 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 … [Read more...]

Kissing the bible is a ceremony used in taking the corporal oath, the object being, as the canonists say, to denote the assent of the witness to the oath in the form it is imposed. The witness kisses either the whole bible, or some portion of it; or a cross in some countries. … [Read more...]

The supreme court of common law In England, being so called because the king used formerly to sit there In person, the style of the court being "coram ipso rege" It was called the "queen's bench" in the reign of a queen, and during the protectorate of Cromwell it was styled the "upper bench." It consisted of a chief justice and three, puisne justices, who were by their office … [Read more...]

The ceremony of touching the lips to a copy of the Bible, used In administering oaths. It is the external symbol of the witness' acknowledgment of the obligation of the oath. … [Read more...]

Those portions of the seas, adjacent to the coasts of Great Britain, which are inclosed within headlands so as to be cut off from the open sea by imaginary straight lines drawn from one promontory to another. … [Read more...]