They had not the king's right as representative of the community to make the law for the redress of a wrong.

They professed simply to declare what the existing law was, even if it was insufficient for the full purpose of redress.

The authority of their decision rested mainly on their adhesion to ancient custom or as it was styled the "common law" which had grown up in the past.

They could enforce their decisions only by directions to an independent officer, the sheriff, and here again their right was soon rigidly bounded by set form and custom.

These bonds in fact became tighter every day, for their decisions were now beginning to be reported, and the cases decided by one bench of judges became authorities for their successors.