Legislation by Source Document: Acts of the General Assembly of His Majesty's Province of New-Brunswick passed in the year 1786. Saint John, NB: J. Ryan, 1786.
This act, passed in the first year of the assembly, sets up terms for the conduct of the clerk's courts for trials worth at least 40 shillings, for the judges, jurors, and defendents.
This act, passed in the first year of the assembly, prevents lawsuits over disputes worth less than 40 shillings to be brought before any courts save the county clerk's courts, or any disputes worth less than 10 pounds to any but the county inferior courts.
This act, passed in the first year of the assembly, gives the New Brunswick supreme court the power to hear circuit cases, and for attornies of the supreme court to defend their clients in any inferior courts.
This act, passed in the first year of the assembly, allows for grand jury foremans to issue oaths to witnesses and to punish those who give false testimony.
This act, passed in the first year of the assembly, levies penatlies against certain activities, such servile labour or 'amoral' pursuits (ie. drinking or gambling), on Sundays that could disturb church services or go against the solem character of the sabbath.
This act, passed in the first year of the assembly, establishes the Church of England as the state church for New Brunswick, lays out rules for church governance and the conduct of its clerics, and spells out the rights of non-Anglican churches and clerics.
This act, passed in the first year of the assembly, one of several dealing with property and inheritance, sets up a legal system of registing deeds and wills.
As New Brunswick was created from land that had, prior to 1784, been part of Nova Scotia, this act allowed for land grants that had been issued by Halifax to be recognized and regulated by the new administration in Fredericton.