Nisi prius

Nisi prius (/ˈnaɪsaɪ ˈpraɪəs/) (Latin: "unless before") is a historical term in English law. In the 19th century, it came to be used to denote generally all legal actions tried before judges of the King's Bench Division[1] and in the early twentieth century for actions tried at assize by a judge given a commission.[2] Used in that way, the term has had no currency since the abolition of assizes in 1971.[3]

  1. ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Nisi Prius" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 19 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 710.
  2. ^ Curzon (2002)
  3. ^ Courts Act 1971