The Lord Chancellor's Department was a United Kingdom government department answerable to the Lord Chancellor with jurisdiction over England and Wales.
Created in 1885 as the Lord Chancellor's Office with a small staff to assist the Lord Chancellor in his day-to-day duties, the department grew in power over the course of the 20th century, and at its peak had jurisdiction over the entire judicial system and a staff of over 22,000. Before it was merged into the Department for Constitutional Affairs (now the Ministry of Justice), it was the oldest United Kingdom government department.
Read more about Lord Chancellor's Department: History, Remit, Structure, Peculiarities
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