The Court of Civil Jurisdiction was a court established in the
late 18th century in the colony of New South Wales which
subsequently became a state of Australia . The court had
jurisdiction to deal with all civil disputes in the then
fledgling colony. It was in operation between 1788 , the date of
establishment of the new colony, and 1814 The British government
established the colony of New South Wales primarily as a penal
colony with the intention of encouraging later settlement.
Notwithstanding this, the colony’s principal purpose was to
house prisoners from Great Britain . Captain Arthur Phillip was
appointed as the colony’s first governor. The British
authorities foresaw the need for a judicial system to be
established in the colony to deal with civil matters. This was
to be the present court, styled as the “Court of Civil
Jurisdiction”, and established by a charter, as well a Court of
Vice-Admiralty pursuant to letters from the High Admiralty in
Great Britain. In time, the colony would take to authorisin