nisi prius

noun Law.

1. Also called nisi prius court. a trial court for the hearing of civil cases before a judge and jury.
2. British Law.
   1. a writ commanding a sheriff of a county to summon a jury and bring it to the court in Westminster on a certain day, unless the judges of assizes previously came to that county.
   2. the clause with the words “nisi prius” introducing this writ.
   3. the system of judicial circuits to which judges are assigned for local trials of civil and criminal cases.

noun

1. English legal history
   1. a direction that a case be brought up to Westminster for trial before a single judge and a jury
   2. the writ giving this direction
   3. trial before the justices taking the assizes
2. (in the US) a court where civil actions are tried by a single judge sitting with a jury, as distinguished from an appellate court