May it please the court

okioffice84

Just wondering- What does "May it please the court" mean? Is it a way of saying "thank you?"
Do solicitors also say it?

Dermighty

I assume it means:

"If I may" and "I seek permission to"

EG: "may it please the court that I present exhibit A"

That's just a guess from someone with no legal experience bar television and solicitors in the family.

valleyoftheunos

Its a way of expressing deference to the court. Its only a formality but one that judges like to hear and it goes down well.

coylemj

It's an old fashioned courtesy. It's sometimes used as a closing remark by a lawyer when the judge hands down a decision which ends that hearing and for want of anything else to say, the last lawyer to address the court will say that to wrap things up.

For example....

Judge: the defendant is remanded on his own bail until Thursday 20th February at 10 a.m.

Solicitor/counsel (either side): May it please the court.

Intrinsically it means absolutely nothing.

valleyoftheunos

Its a good opener too, to whit...

Lawyer: "Judge, may it please the court I represent the plaintiff in this case..."

NoQuarter

valleyoftheunos wrote: »

Its a good opener too, to whit...

Lawyer: "Judge, may it please the court I represent the plaintiff in this case..."

Exactly. If its said at the start it means "if its ok with you" and said at the end it means "thanks for giving me my way". When I dont get my way I just storm out

subrosa

valleyoftheunos wrote: »

Its a good opener too, to whit...

Lawyer: "Judge, may it please the court I represent the plaintiff in this case..."

Just to be needlessly pedantic

The Inns (or maybe just one particular lecturer) used to teach that it should never be used before "I represent" since you appear by right and not at the discretion of the court.

It's a handy phrase to eat up a few seconds while to think of something to say.

valleyoftheunos

subrosa wrote: »

Just to be needlessly pedantic

The Inns (or maybe just one particular lecturer) used to teach that it should never be used before "I represent" since you appear by right and not at the discretion of the court.

It's a handy phrase to eat up a few seconds while to think of something to say.

Duly noted;)

Procrastastudy

It's used a lot in mooting generally as an introduction, a divider between points and as a general delaying tactic to gather your thoughts. Is it actually used in practise much?

Peregrinus

Well, if used at the beginning of a statement, it fills exactly the same function as the word "well" does at the start of this sentence. It has no inherent meaning, but it calls attention to what follows.

If used in response to someethign the judge has said, it is a polite acknowledgement of/assent to what he has said.

Peregrinus

Procrastastudy wrote: »

It's used a lot in mooting generally as an introduction, a divider between points and as a general delaying tactic to gather your thoughts. Is it actually used in practise much?

Yes, it is.

okioffice84

So do solicitors say it too??

Pat Mustard

okioffice84 wrote: »

So do solicitors say it too??

It's amost like a 'filler' phrase.

I can't think of the last time I heard a solicitor use this phrase. If it is used by solicitors, it's not very popular.

subrosa

No reason why it shouldn't be just by solicitors.

It's a handy way to finish once the Judge has made his/her order.

You have to say something. You can't say "Thanks very much" and I've always thought "I'm obliged to the court" sounds......weird.

Judge: "you may have your order"

You: "May it please the court. Now, on the issue of costs..."

valleyoftheunos

"Much obliged Judge/Master" is popular with Solicitors.

johnnyskeleton

The Mustard wrote: »

It's amost like a 'filler' phrase.

I can't think of the last time I heard a solicitor use this phrase. If it is used by solicitors, it's not very popular.

In a more polite and formal era, it was considered inappropriate to thank the judge or to say that you are obliged to the judge. To do so would imply that the judge has done something beyond merely reaching the just and fair result, and has held with one side not because it was right, but because of favouritism. This would lead to unsuccessful litigants feeling cheated.

More importantly, in days when senior counsel (queens and kings counsel in dem days) couldn't appear against the crown and so couldn't defend eg a murder case but could prosecute it, such signs of favouritism could be disastrous as the poor bugger is brought off to the gallows.

Also, as among barristers it would be seen as sycophantic to thank the judge when you are successful and bitter to say nothing when unsuccessful.

So may it please the court fulfils the role of saying thanks for doing justice to the judge and showing that you have no personal feelings about the outcome.

At the start of a case, I can't really explain it but I suppose it is a way of asking the judge if he/she is ready to take your case up.

Ive never heard of it being wrong to say may it please the court before saying i represent but i don't think there is anything wrong with it. You would be saying "may it please the court, I appear on behalf of..." and you are not asking for permission to represent that person, it is two different clauses - the first is asking if the court can take it up the second clause is simply stating which side the person represents.

Someone should write a book about all these things.

Pat Mustard

Very informative and interesting explanation of the origin and use of the phrase.

trashcan

I've never heard a barrister say it when beginning remarks. I've mainly heard them use it in response to an order, or some kind of decision or direction given by the Judge. Seems to me (as a lay person who attends a lot of cases for work)to be a way of acknowledging the authority of a Judge and showing respect.

Kevin3

Am I the only one who thought everyone was saying 'May I appease the court'?

coylemj

Kevin3 wrote: »

Am I the only one who thought everyone was saying 'May I appease the court'?

Yes.