Fonds RG 37 Series AP volume 1 - Annapolis County Inferior Court of Common Pleas

The Inferior Court of Common Pleas, County of Annapolis, commenced on 22 August 1761 with commissions appointing judges and instructing them to follow the procedure used by the Inferior Court at Halifax. Cases were to be heard by a bench of three or more judges, who were not required to have legal training and who were generally the senior justices of the peace for the county. The court's jurisdiction was civil and cases were often heard in connection with the Court of General Sessions meetings at Annapolis. In 1800 legislation allowed the Inferior Court to divide its sittings between Digby and Annapolis. The court's structure was adjusted in 1823 and 1824 to require a legally trained first judge, who would receive an annual stipend, to attend each case and sit as part of the bench.To facilitate this, the province was divided into districts, with Annapolis and Shelburne Counties sharing a stipendiary judge and forming the court's western district. In 1837 Digby became a separate county with its own Inferior Court. The gradual expansion of the court's jurisdiction and the increased circuit presence of the Supreme Court made it appear as if there were two courts with the same jurisdiction. In 1841 the Inferior Court was abolished and the remaining cases were transferred to the Supreme Court.