Court of Requests

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The Court of Requests was a small-claims equity court in England and Wales. It was created to help poor people and royal servants recover small debts quickly and at low cost, offering an alternative to the slower, more expensive common-law courts.

Origins and purpose
- The court's beginnings go back to the late 1400s, with formal development under Henry VII. It became an independent tribunal that handled cases mainly about small debts and matters of equity.
- It earned praise for being inexpensive and fast, but drew the ire of the regular courts because people began using it instead of the common-law system.
- Over time, the court had a number of appointed Masters of Requests (judges) to hear the cases, initially serving under the Privy Council.

Local courts and acts
- The idea spread through Parliament with acts that gave validity to local “courts of requests.” For London, Acts in 1603 and 1605 created the City of London Court of Conscience to recover small debts for London’s residents.
- Other local courts followed:
- Norwich Court of Requests (established by the 1700 Act, 12 & 13 Will. 3. c. 7)
- Southwark and nearby areas (Small Debts, Southwark, etc. Act, 1748)
- Westminster had its own set of Acts (repealed and consolidated in the 1830s)
- Various local acts continued to regulate these courts until the mid-19th century
- These acts allowed courts to recover small debts (often under a specific amount) and provided a more accessible path to justice for ordinary people.

Decline and abolition
- By the late 16th and early 17th centuries, the common-law courts challenged the Court of Requests’ jurisdiction, leading to disputes over authority.
- The post of Master of Requests was formally abolished in 1685, reducing the court’s staffing and influence.
- In the 19th century, reform moved toward a unified county court system. The County Courts Act of 1846 gradually absorbed the functions of the various Courts of Requests, ending the separate courts.
- Earlier Acts varied in repeal status, with several being repealed as part of the consolidation and modernization of England’s court system.

Legacy
- The Court of Requests left a lasting impression as an early, popular model for accessible, small-claims justice. Its history helped shape the development of later small-claims procedures that aimed to be quick, inexpensive, and open to ordinary people.