PARLEMENT


Meaning of PARLEMENT in English

Supreme court under the ancien régime in France.

It developed out of the curia regis ("king's court") in which the Capetian kings convened their chief vassals and prelates to consider feudal and political issues. By the mid-13th century this judicial institution was known as Parlement and served as a court of appeals against the judgments of royal officials. Later Parlements also reviewed the king's edicts to determine whether they were just and lawful. The chief Parlement was located in Paris, and others were established in the provinces. The Parlements were abolished in the French Revolution .

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia.      Краткая энциклопедия Британика.