ecclesiastical court

American  

noun

1. a church court in ecclesiastical matters, presided over by members of the clergy and usually having no compulsory jurisdiction.

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Etymology

Origin of ecclesiastical court

First recorded in 1675–85

Example Sentences

An ecclesiastical court is to decide whether Cambridge University can move a memorial to a 17th Century benefactor who invested in the slave trade.

From BBC • Jan. 24, 2022

Wendt was tried by an ecclesiastical court for disobeying the bishop’s orders.

From Washington Post • Sep. 5, 2019

Church spies hauled everyday people into ecclesiastical court for infractions such as eating meat during Lent, and priest-judges passed sentence.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 16, 2018

In May 2011, the man filed a complaint with Peru’s ecclesiastical court that was forwarded to the Vatican.

From New York Times • Jan. 17, 2018

As soon as the ecclesiastical court had pronounced him a heretic and handed him over, the laws against heresy operated of themselves.

From A History of The Inquisition of The Middle Ages; volume II by Lea, Henry Charles