custos morum

[koos-tohs moh-room, kuhs-tos mawr-uhm, mohr-]

noun

Latin.

plural

custodes morum 

1. a custodian or guardian of morals; censor.

Word History and Origins

Origin of custos morum¹

Literally, “guardian of established usages, laws, etc.”

Example Sentences

The bulk of the appellate work of the High Court is conducted in the king’s bench division—which, as successor of the old court of king’s bench in the duties of custos morum of the realm, still retains supervisory power over all inferior courts in all cases in which that supervision has not been transferred to the other divisions of the High Court or to the court of appeal, or to the court of criminal appeal.

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Each division of that court deals with 27 the particular contempts arising with reference to proceedings before the division; but the king’s bench division, in the exercise of the supervisory authority inherited from the old court of king’s bench as custos morum, also from time to time deals with acts constituting interference with justice in other inferior courts whether of record or not.

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"Primus Magister Scholarum, Custos Morum, Quartus Custos Rotulorum," said the old man softly to himself, the firelight from behind him falling in a glory on his thin white hair.

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By the unphilosophic regarded as akin to vermin, existing for the greater confusion of theologians, the small boy looms large to the man of insight, as the true conservator of custom—the one efficient custos morum.

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