Also justitiary. [ad. med.L. jūstitiāri-us, -ciāri-us judge, f. jūstitia JUSTICE: see -ARY1 B. 1. A doublet of JUSTICIAR.]
1. Eng. Hist. The chief political and judicial officer under the Norman and early Plantagenet kings; more fully, Chief Justiciary: = JUSTICIAR 1.
Found only in modern historians, as a rendering of med.L. justiciarius: the form JUSTICIAR was in use a century earlier.
1700. Tyrrell, Hist. Eng., II. 848. Many of the Great Men of England made mighty Complaints against Hubert de Burgh the Justitiary.
1769. Blackstone, Comm., IV. xxxiii. 416. [After the Conquest] the aula regis … was erected: and a capital justiciary appointed.
1818. Hallam, Mid. Ages, viii. II. (1819), II. 461. The King’s Court … was composed of the great officers; the chief justiciary, the chancellor, the constable, marshall, chamberlain, steward, and treasurer, with any others whom the king might appoint.
1863. H. Cox, Instit., II. viii. 506. In the time of William I., the Chief Justiciary was, after the King, the principal political person in the kingdom.
2. = JUSTICE 9 a, JUSTICIAR 2. Obs. exc. Hist.
1761. London & Environs, IV. 10. The citizens … had … the county of Middlesex added to their jurisdiction … with a power of appointing … a Justiciary from among themselves.
1827. Gentl. Mag., XCVII. II. 495. On the 12th of February, 1267, Alexander III. issued a patent … witnessed by the Earl of Buchan, Justiciary.
1868. Milman, St. Paul’s, 36. He had been a travelling justiciary in 1179.
1874. Green, Short Hist., ii. § 5. 83. A royal justiciary secured law to the Jewish merchant.
3. One who maintains or executes justice; an administrator of justice; = JUSTICER 1, 2.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., 10 Henry V, This sheperd was such a iusticiary that no offence was vnpunished, no frendship vnrewarded.
1590. Greene, Royal Exch., Wks. 1882, VII. 240. Aristides, the perfect Justiciarie of his time.
1675. Cave, Antiq. Apost. (1702), 14. The supream ruler and justiciary of the world.
1855. Milman, Lat. Chr., V. ii. II. 313. The Emperor is … the supreme justiciary in his Gallic and German realm.
1895. Daily News, 16 Sept., 6/5. The Right, in this instance, was the justiciary of the Republic.
4. Used to designate various foreign officers of state and judicial functionaries, esp. F. justicier, Sp. justiciero, It. sindaco, etc.
1763. Gibbon, Misc. Wks. (1814), III. 36. The justiciary of Arragon, a name dreadful to royal ears.
1768. Sterne, Sent. Journ., Passport, Versailles, iv. The passport was directed to all … generals of armies, justiciaries and all officers of justices.
1854. Milman, Lat. Chr., X. iv. IV. 378. The Senate and people of Rome … had sent justiciaries into Tuscany … to receive oaths of allegiance … and to exact tribute.
† 5. Theol. One who holds that man can of himself attain to righteousness. Cf. JUSTICE 2. Obs.
1532. Becon, Pomander Prayer, Wks. 1843–4, II. 89. Suffer me not therefore, O Lord, to be in the number of those justiciaries which, boasting their own righteousness … despise that righteousness that cometh by faith. Ibid. (1550), Govern. Virtue, ibid. I. 423. Christ ‘came not to call the justiciaries, but sinners to repentance.’
1563. Homilies, II. Rogation Week, I. ¶ 6. Iusticiaries and hipocrites, which rob Almighty God of this honour, and ascribe it to themselues.
a. 1625. Boys, Wks. (1630), 456. The Pharisee … is a type of all Iustitiaries hoping to be saued by the righteousness of the law.
a. 1716. South, Serm. (1744), IX. 146. The poinpous austerities and fastings of many religious operators, and splendid justiciaries.
Hence Justiciaryship, the office of justiciary.
1700. Tyrrell, Hist. Eng., II. 890. He required Him also to give an Account of his Justitiaryship.
1870. Pall Mall Gaz., 10 Aug., 11. De Olifard found his reward in a grant of lands in Roxburghshire and the justiciaryship of Lothian.
