By and large, the Irish Court of Chancery mirrored its counterpart in England and Wales. It was the king and his government's secretariat, presided over by the lord chancellor. Originally only administrative, during the 16th century it developed a judicial jurisdiction as a court of equity.
Sometimes known as the king's conscience, equity was a form of law based upon precedent that evolved over time and involved pleas to the lord chancellor to find equitable solutions in cases where none existed in statute or common law. This developed into the civil Court of Chancery, hearing cases brought
