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Chief Baron of the Exchequer

{{short description|Chief judge of the English Exchequer of Pleas}}

{{for|the Chief Baron of the Exchequer in Ireland|Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer}}

The Chief Baron of the Exchequer was the first "baron" (meaning judge) of the English Exchequer of Pleas. "In the absence of both the Treasurer of the Exchequer or First Lord of the Treasury, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, it was he who presided in the equity court and answered the bar i.e. spoke for the court."Bryson, W., The equity side of the Exchequer; Its jurisdiction, administration, procedures, and records; York prize essay for 1973. Practically speaking, he held the most important office of the Exchequer of Pleas.

The chief baron, along with the three puisne barons, sat as a court of common law, heard suits in the court of equity and settled revenue disputes. A puisne baron was styled "Mr Baron X" and the chief baron as "Lord Chief Baron X".

From 1550 to 1579, there was a major distinction between the chief baron and the second, third and fourth puisne barons. The difference was in social status and education. All of the chief barons had been trained as lawyers in the inns of court. With the exception of Henry Bradshaw and Sir Clement Higham, both barristers-at-law, all of the chief barons who served Queen Elizabeth I, had attained the highest and most prestigious rank of a lawyer, serjeant-at-law.

In 1875, the Court of Exchequer became the Exchequer Division of the High Court. Following the death of the last chief baron in 1880, the division and that of Common Pleas were merged into the King's Bench Division.Lord Mackay of Clashfern (ed.) (2002) Halsbury's Laws of England, 4th ed. Vol.10 (Reissue), "Courts", 603 'Divisions of the High Court'

Chief Barons of the Exchequer

Peerages created for the Chief Baron of the Exchequer

class="wikitable"

|+ Since the Act of Union 1707

Chief BaronTitleCreatedCurrent status || Other Judicial Roles
Sir James Scarlett

| Baron Abinger

| 12 January 1835

| Extant

| None

See also

References

{{Reflist|20em}}

Further reading

{{Commons category|Chief Barons of the Exchequer}}

  • Walker, David M., The Oxford Companion to Law, Appendix I, list of Chief Barons 1660-1880, pp. 1326–1327.
  • Sainty (comp.), Sir John, The Judges of England, 1272-1990: a list of the judges of the Superior courts (Selden Society: Supplementary Series 1993, 10).

{{Judiciary of England and Wales}}

{{English Exchequer}}

{{Use British English|date=January 2015}}

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*Chief

Category:Exchequer offices