Maître des requêtes

Maître des requêtes (in French, literally, "master of requests" or "petitions" (the term "maître" is an honorific title for lawyers); plural: "maîtres des requêtes") is an official title carried by certain high-level magistrates and administrators in France and some other European countries since the Middle Ages.

In France under the Ancien Régime

The maîtres des requêtes ordinaires de l'hôtel du Roi (by their full title) were originally, in the Middle Ages, the magistrates of the tribunal of petitions of the royal household (the "hôtel du roi"). Certain customs from this original function survived until the 18th century, such as the custom of two members of this body accompanying the king, on Sundays and festival days, on his way to and from the church and remaining near him during the mass, in order to receive petitions from the public.

The role of the "maîtres des requêtes" was greatly expanded in the Renaissance: their duties, as defined by edict in 1493, and subsequently modified during the reigns of Francis I and Henry II, were to serve as deputies to the Chancellor of France (with whom they worked closely) and to provide royal oversight of the judicial system at all levels. In this way, the "maîtres des requêtes" became a key instrument in the expansion of royal power in the provinces and in national unification, a role that would be taken over, in the seventeenth century, by the intendants (who were chosen from among the "maîtres des requêtes"). The "maîtres des requêtes" undertook inspection tours of the regional courts; they had the power to preside at "bailliages" (regional courts), at the Grand Conseil and to sit in Parlement (where they had the same rank as the presidents); and to receive petitions and to intervene in cases of abuse of local officers. [Salmon, p.68.] In addition to their judicial duties, they were occasionally given temporary financial or diplomatic tasks. [Salmon, p.68.] They participated in the king's judicial and financial decisions and attended the king's private Counsel. From their members were generally recruited other high-level royal officers and government officials, such as: conseiller d'État; intendants of the provinces, of commerce or of finance; contrôleur général des finances; lieutenant général of the police, etc.

The "maîtres des requêtes" were chosen from among the best magistrates and parliamentarians of the superior courts and parlements in the realm. The prestigious offices needed to be purchased, although the king could also appoint individuals; under Louis XIV, these offices were extremely expensive, but they conferred nobility upon the user (see French nobility).

Under Louis XII there were 6 "maîtres des requêtes"; Francis increased their number to 18; Henry II to 32. [Salmon, p.68.] In the seventeenth century, there were generally 80 "maîtres des requêtes"; their number reached 88 in 1723, but Louis XV brought them back to 80 in 1752. They went to 67 members in 1787. [Bluche, p.200.]

In France after 1799

The maîtres des requêtes au Conseil d'État (by their full title) are members of the Conseil d'État possessing a rank of "maître des requêtes", between the rank of "auditeur de 1^ère classe" and "conseiller d'État".

References

* Bluche, François. "L'Ancien régime: Institutions et société." Collection: Livre de poche. Paris: Editions de Fallois, 1993. ISBN 2-253-06423-8
* Salmon, J.H.M. "Society in Crisis: France in the Sixteenth Century." Methuen: London, 1975. ISBN 0-416-73050-7

Notes

ee also

* Ancien Régime in France
* Early Modern France
* Conseil d'État
* Master of Requests