Court of Record Definition: A court of law which retains written records of its proceedings and which has the ability to fine or imprison. Related Terms: Court William Blackstone wrote, in his Commentaries on the Laws of England, Book 3: "A court of record is that where acts and judicial proceedings are enrolled in parchment for a perpetual memorial and testimony; which rolls are called records of the court, and are of such high and supereminent authority that their truth is not to be called in question." In Volume V of his A History of English Law, Holdsworth writes: "It is the infallibility of its formal record which is the earliest mark of a court of record. But gradually the court of record developed other characteristics. Its record was kept upon a parchment roll. The method of questioning its decisions was a writ of error, while the method of questioning the decisions of courts not of record was a writ of false judgment. It alone could fine and imprison and this characteristic … is its most important characteristic at the present day." REFERENCES: Holdsworth, W. S., A History of English Law, Volume V (London: Methueun & Co., 1924), pages 157-158. Categories & Topics: Duhaime's Civil Litigation & Evidence Law Dictionary Always looking up definitions? Save time with our search provider (modern browsers only) If you find an error or omission in Duhaime's Legal Dictionary, or if you have suggestion for a legal term, we'd love to hear from you! Survey