In chapter XXXIV van The Pickwick Papers geeft Dickens een summiere beschrijving van de
Court of Common Pleas in Guildhall. Sam Weller, Lowten en de jongen met de blauwe tas
worden in de studenten box gestopt, die toch leeg was, omdat van een proces over een breuk van
huwelijksbelofte niet veel viel te leren.
Mr.Pickwick himself had better sit by me. This way, my dear sir, this way." Taking
Mr.Pickwick by the coat-sleeve, the litde man led him to the low seat just beneath the desks of
the King's Counsel, which is constructed for the convenience of attorneys, who from that spot
can whisper into the ear of the leading counsel in the case, any instructions that mat be necessary
during the progress of the trial. The occupants of this seat are invisibly to the great body of
spectators, inasmuch they sit on a much lower level than either the barristers or the audience,
whose seats are raised above the floor. Of course they have their backs to both, and their faces
towards the judge. "That's the witness-box, I suppose?" said Mr. Pickwick, pointing to a kind of
pulpit, with a brass rail, on his left hand.
"That's the witness-box, my dear Sir," replied Perker, disinterring a quantity of papers from
the blue bag, which Lowten had just deposited at his feet.
"And that," said Mr. Pickwick, pointing to a couple of inclosed Seats on his right, "that's
where the jurymen sit, is it not?"
"The identical place, my dear sir," replied Perker, tapping the lid of his snuff-box. (The
Pickwick Papers, ch.xxxiv).
Dickens noemt in Tittle Dorrit (Boek II ch.26) het Palace Court. Dat hof had oorspronkelijk
alleen rechtspraak over het hofpersoneel, maar later, ook in Dickens' tijd, omvatte het
alle civiele zaken in een gebied van 12 mijlen rondom het koninklijk paleis te Whitehall. Het
kwam eens per week bijeen, tesamen met een ander oude hofrechtbank, the Court of the
Marshalsea. Op uitspraken van beide hoven was beroep mogelijk op de Court of King's Bench of
de Court of Common Pleas. Bij geschillen van enig gewicht placht men het geding over te
hevelen naar een van beide genoemde landelijke hoven. De raadsman van Clennam zegt dan ook:
'I wouldn't go to the Counting-house this morning if I was you, sir.'
'Why not, Mr Rugg?'
'There are as many as five out, to my knowledge.'
'It cannot be too soon over,' said Clennam. 'Let them take me at once.'
"Yes, but,' said Mr Rugg, getting between him and the door, 'hear reason, hear reason. They'll
take you soon, enough, Mr Clennam, I don't doubt; but hear reason. It almost always happens, in
these cases, that some insignificant matter pushes itself in front and makes much of itself. Now, I
find there's a little one out - a mere Palace Court jurisdiction - and I have reason to believe, that a
caption may be made upon that. I wouldn't be taken upon that.'
'Why not?' asked Clennam.
'I'd be taken on a fullgrown one, sir,' said Mr Rugg. 'It's as well to keep up appearances. As
your professional adviser, I should prefer your being taken on a writ from one of the Superior
Courts, if you have no objection to do me that favour. It looks better.
'Mr Rugg,' said Arthur, in his dejection, 'my only wish is, that it should be over, I will go on,
and take my chance.' (Little Dorrit Book II, ch.26)
Als dan ook nog blijkt dat Clennam bij voorkeur naar de Marshalsea Prison wil, de gevangenis
van het oude hof, staakt Rugg zijn verzet.
Naast de Courts of Common Law en de Courts of Equity waren er ook nog de kerkelijke
rechtbanken. Deze rechtbanken stonden onder de hoede van de kerk en pasten civil law toe.
