The Court of King’s Bench sat in Westminster Hall, London, until it was abolished in 1875.

The Court of King’s Bench was the highest court of common law in England and Wales with the power to make legal decisions and judgements over both civil and criminal actions.

Criminal cases heard on the Crown side of the Court of King’s Bench could include theft, perjury, murder and criminal libel whilst between 1685 and 1875 some civil cases were also heard such as disputes about local taxes or, as in the case at Sudbury in 1817, arguments about appointments to local government offices.