Proctor
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Proctor

Proctor (a variant of procurator) is a person who takes charge of, or acts for, another.

The title is used in England and some other English-speaking countries in three principal contexts:

In the United States and some other countries, the word "proctor" is frequently used to describe someone who supervises an examination (i.e. a supervisor or invigilator).

A proctor was a legal practitioner in the ecclesiastical and admiralty courts in England. These courts were distinguished from the common law courts and courts of equity because they applied "civil law" derived from Roman law, instead of English common law and equity. Historically, proctors were licensed by the Archbishop of Canterbury to undertake the duties that were performed in common law courts by attorneys and in the courts of equity by solicitors. Proctors were attached to the Doctors' Commons, which performed a similar function for civil law or "civilian" advocates (the doctors) to that of the Inns of Court for barristers. Reforms in the mid-19th century removed the monopoly of the civilian doctors and proctors in the family and admiralty courts, leaving only the ecclesiastical Court of Arches. Later, the Judicature Acts of 1873 and 1875, which created the Supreme Court of Judicature, combined the three roles (proctor, attorney, and solicitor) into the common profession of "solicitor of the Supreme Court".

The King/Queen's Proctor is the historical name for an official who acted for the Crown in certain courts in England. The modern name of the office is HM Procurator General, and this office has for many years been combined with that of the Treasury Solicitor, whose formal title is His/Her Majesty's Procurator General and Treasury Solicitor.

In the admiralty courts, the King/Queen's Proctor historically acted in all causes concerning the King or Queen. A proctor or procurator was an officer who, in conjunction with the King/Queen's Proctor, acted as the attorney or solicitor in all causes concerning the Lord High Admiral's affairs in the High Court of Admiralty and other courts.

In probate and divorce courts, this official acted as the proctor or solicitor representing the Crown. In petitions of divorce, or for declaration of nullity of marriage, the King/Queen's Proctor may, under direction of the Attorney General, intervene in the suit for the purpose of arguing any question that the court deems expedient to have argued. The powers are set out in section 8 of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973, and include the power to show cause against a decree nisi being made absolute, usually on receipt of information indicating that the court has been misled into granting a decree.

In Sri Lanka, the two groups of legal practitioners, advocates (similar to barristers) and Proctors (similar to solicitors) existed since 1833 until the Justice Law No. 44 of 1973, created a single group of practitioners, known as attorneys-at-law. There were two types of proctors; proctors of the Supreme Court and proctors of a district court. The former could practice in any court, while the latter was allowed to practice in the lower courts in a specific district. The Attorney General was authorised a proctor from each district to serve as the Crown Proctor to instruct or brief crown counsel on civil and criminal cases in district courts, courts of requests and police courts on behalf of the Crown.

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