Delaware Court of Chancery
Encyclopedia
The Delaware Court of Chancery is a court
of equity in the American
state of Delaware
. It is one of Delaware's three constitutional courts, along with the Supreme Court
and Superior Court.
According to the Delaware Judicial Information center
Article IV, Section 10 of the Delaware Constitution establishes the Court and provides that it "shall have all the jurisdiction and powers vested by the laws of this State in the Court of Chancery." The Court has one Chancellor, who is the chief judicial officer of the Court, and four Vice Chancellors. It also has two Masters in Chancery, who are assigned by the Chancellor and Vice Chancellors to assist in matters as needed.
The Court's most significant power is its ability to issue preliminary and permanent injunction
s and temporary restraining orders. This is frequently exercised in the context of disputes involving mergers and acquisitions
or sales of corporations, wherein a corporate suitor or a shareholder will attempt to enjoin—that is, prevent—the sale or merger of a corporation, claiming that their stock value has been diluted or that they have superior rights to purchase the corporation. In a typical sale or merger dispute, a plaintiff will seek a temporary restraining order, sometimes on an ex parte
basis, to prevent the transaction from taking place and preserve the status quo. If the Court grants that relief, the plaintiff will then seek a preliminary injunction to maintain the current state of affairs until a trial can take place.
Title 10, Section 342 of the Delaware Code provides that the Court shall not hear any matters for which an adequate remedy exists at law or which can be heard by any other Delaware court. As a practical matter, this means that the Court cannot grant relief in the form of money damages to compensate a party for a loss or where another court has coterminous jurisdiction. However, under the rules of equity, the court can grant monetary relief in the form of restitution
by ruling that another party has unjustly gained money that belongs to the plaintiff.
Apart from its general equitable jurisdiction, the Court has jurisdiction over a number of other matters. First, the Court has sole power to appoint guardians of the property and person for mentally or physically disabled Delaware residents. Similarly, the Court may also appoint guardians for minors, although the Family Court has coterminous jurisdiction over such matters. Will contest
s and disputes over interpretations of trust
s are also heard by the Court.
In 1952, the court of Chancery would decide in the case of Gebhart v. Belton
that the operation of segregated school systems in Delaware was unlawful, two years before the U.S. Supreme Court would do so in Brown v. Board of Education
.
system, in which separate courts were established to hear law
and equity matters. English law courts included the Court of King's Bench (or Queen's Bench when the monarch was female), the Court of Common Pleas
, and the Court of the Exchequer. The sole English court of equity was the High Court of Chancery
.
Along with the remainder of the original Thirteen Colonies
, Delaware
imported the English concept of common law
. This included establishing a separate Court of Chancery. As the legal system evolved in England, the English High Court of Chancery was eventually abolished and its powers merged into the law courts. Most American jurisdictions followed suit.
In its first Constitution, the Delaware Constitution of 1776
, there was no special provision for a court of equity. However, when the constitution was revised in the Delaware Constitution of 1792
a separate Court of Chancery was established. This constitution was heavily influenced by thinking of John Dickinson
and George Read
. William T. Quillen and Michael Hanrahan in their Short History of the Delaware Court of Chancery repeat the “folklore of the Delaware bench and bar, saying that the impetus for creating a Court of Chancery was to provide a new judicial seat for Delaware's first Chancellor, William Killen.” Killen was the elderly and highly respected incumbent Chief Justice of Delaware, and when George Read
was considered to be the new Chief Justice of Delaware, he refused unless adequate provisions were made for Killen. A separate Court of Chancery under Killen was the solution.
Court
A court is a form of tribunal, often a governmental institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance with the rule of law...
of equity in the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
state of Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
. It is one of Delaware's three constitutional courts, along with the Supreme Court
Delaware Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Delaware is the sole appellate court in the United States' state of Delaware. Because Delaware is a popular haven for corporations, the Court has developed a worldwide reputation as a respected source of corporate law decisions, particularly in the area of mergers and...
and Superior Court.
Jurisdiction
The Court's jurisdiction is a hybrid of constitutional provisions, statutes, and case law.According to the Delaware Judicial Information center
“The Court of Chancery has jurisdiction to hear and determine all matters and causes in equity. The general equity jurisdiction of the Court is measured in terms of the general equity jurisdiction of the High Court of ChanceryCourt of ChanceryThe Court of Chancery was a court of equity in England and Wales that followed a set of loose rules to avoid the slow pace of change and possible harshness of the common law. The Chancery had jurisdiction over all matters of equity, including trusts, land law, the administration of the estates of...
of Great Britain as it existed prior to the separation of the AmericanUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
colonies. The General AssemblyDelaware General AssemblyThe Delaware General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is a bicameral legislature composed of the Delaware Senate with 21 Senators and the Delaware House of Representatives with 41 Representatives...
may confer upon the Court of Chancery additional statutory jurisdiction. In today's practice, the litigation in the Court of Chancery consists largely of corporate matters, trusts, estates, and other fiduciary matters, disputes involving the purchase and sale of land, questions of title to real estate, and commercial and contractual matters in general. When issues of fact to be tried by a jury arise, the Court of Chancery may order such facts to trial by issues at the Bar of the Superior Court of Delaware. (10 Del. C., 369).”
Article IV, Section 10 of the Delaware Constitution establishes the Court and provides that it "shall have all the jurisdiction and powers vested by the laws of this State in the Court of Chancery." The Court has one Chancellor, who is the chief judicial officer of the Court, and four Vice Chancellors. It also has two Masters in Chancery, who are assigned by the Chancellor and Vice Chancellors to assist in matters as needed.
Equitable jurisdiction
Title 10, Section 341 of the Delaware Code states that the Court "shall have jurisdiction to hear and determine all matters and causes in equity." Subsequent decisions have held that the Court's equitable jurisdiction is the same as that held by the English High Court of Chancery at the time of American independence in 1776.The Court's most significant power is its ability to issue preliminary and permanent injunction
Injunction
An injunction is an equitable remedy in the form of a court order that requires a party to do or refrain from doing certain acts. A party that fails to comply with an injunction faces criminal or civil penalties and may have to pay damages or accept sanctions...
s and temporary restraining orders. This is frequently exercised in the context of disputes involving mergers and acquisitions
Mergers and acquisitions
Mergers and acquisitions refers to the aspect of corporate strategy, corporate finance and management dealing with the buying, selling, dividing and combining of different companies and similar entities that can help an enterprise grow rapidly in its sector or location of origin, or a new field or...
or sales of corporations, wherein a corporate suitor or a shareholder will attempt to enjoin—that is, prevent—the sale or merger of a corporation, claiming that their stock value has been diluted or that they have superior rights to purchase the corporation. In a typical sale or merger dispute, a plaintiff will seek a temporary restraining order, sometimes on an ex parte
Ex parte
Ex parte is a Latin legal term meaning "from one party" .An ex parte decision is one decided by a judge without requiring all of the parties to the controversy to be present. In Australian, Canadian, U.K., Indian and U.S...
basis, to prevent the transaction from taking place and preserve the status quo. If the Court grants that relief, the plaintiff will then seek a preliminary injunction to maintain the current state of affairs until a trial can take place.
Title 10, Section 342 of the Delaware Code provides that the Court shall not hear any matters for which an adequate remedy exists at law or which can be heard by any other Delaware court. As a practical matter, this means that the Court cannot grant relief in the form of money damages to compensate a party for a loss or where another court has coterminous jurisdiction. However, under the rules of equity, the court can grant monetary relief in the form of restitution
Restitution
The law of restitution is the law of gains-based recovery. It is to be contrasted with the law of compensation, which is the law of loss-based recovery. Obligations to make restitution and obligations to pay compensation are each a type of legal response to events in the real world. When a court...
by ruling that another party has unjustly gained money that belongs to the plaintiff.
Apart from its general equitable jurisdiction, the Court has jurisdiction over a number of other matters. First, the Court has sole power to appoint guardians of the property and person for mentally or physically disabled Delaware residents. Similarly, the Court may also appoint guardians for minors, although the Family Court has coterminous jurisdiction over such matters. Will contest
Will contest
A will contest, in the law of property, is a formal objection raised against the validity of a will, based on the contention that the will does not reflect the actual intent of the testator...
s and disputes over interpretations of trust
Trust law
In common law legal systems, a trust is a relationship whereby property is held by one party for the benefit of another...
s are also heard by the Court.
In 1952, the court of Chancery would decide in the case of Gebhart v. Belton
Gebhart v. Belton
Gebhart v. Belton, 33 Del. Ch. 144, 87 A.2d 862 , aff'd, 91 A.2d 137 , was a case decided by the Delaware Court of Chancery in 1952 and affirmed by the Delaware Supreme Court in the same year. Gebhart was one of the five cases combined into Brown v...
that the operation of segregated school systems in Delaware was unlawful, two years before the U.S. Supreme Court would do so in Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 , was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional. The decision overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896 which...
.
Procedure
The Court sits without a jury. All issues of fact are determined by the presiding Chancellor or Vice Chancellor. The Court has the discretion to appoint an advisory jury if it so desires, but this power is practically never exercised.History
The history of the Court of Chancery stems back to the English common lawCommon law
Common law is law developed by judges through decisions of courts and similar tribunals rather than through legislative statutes or executive branch action...
system, in which separate courts were established to hear law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
and equity matters. English law courts included the Court of King's Bench (or Queen's Bench when the monarch was female), the Court of Common Pleas
Court of Common Pleas (England)
The Court of Common Pleas, or Common Bench, was a common law court in the English legal system that covered "common pleas"; actions between subject and subject, which did not concern the king. Created in the late 12th to early 13th century after splitting from the Exchequer of Pleas, the Common...
, and the Court of the Exchequer. The sole English court of equity was the High Court of Chancery
Court of Chancery
The Court of Chancery was a court of equity in England and Wales that followed a set of loose rules to avoid the slow pace of change and possible harshness of the common law. The Chancery had jurisdiction over all matters of equity, including trusts, land law, the administration of the estates of...
.
Along with the remainder of the original Thirteen Colonies
Thirteen Colonies
The Thirteen Colonies were English and later British colonies established on the Atlantic coast of North America between 1607 and 1733. They declared their independence in the American Revolution and formed the United States of America...
, Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
imported the English concept of common law
Common law
Common law is law developed by judges through decisions of courts and similar tribunals rather than through legislative statutes or executive branch action...
. This included establishing a separate Court of Chancery. As the legal system evolved in England, the English High Court of Chancery was eventually abolished and its powers merged into the law courts. Most American jurisdictions followed suit.
In its first Constitution, the Delaware Constitution of 1776
Delaware Constitution of 1776
The Delaware Constitution of 1776 was the first governing document for Delaware state government and was in effect from its adoption in September 1776 until replaced in 1792 by a new Constitution.-Background:...
, there was no special provision for a court of equity. However, when the constitution was revised in the Delaware Constitution of 1792
Delaware Constitution of 1792
The Delaware Constitution of 1792 was the second governing document for Delaware state government and was in effect from its adoption on June 12, 1792 until replaced on December 2, 1831 by a new Constitution....
a separate Court of Chancery was established. This constitution was heavily influenced by thinking of John Dickinson
John Dickinson (delegate)
John Dickinson was an American lawyer and politician from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Wilmington, Delaware. He was a militia officer during the American Revolution, a Continental Congressman from Pennsylvania and Delaware, a delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Convention of 1787, President of...
and George Read
George Read (signer)
George Read was an American lawyer and politician from New Castle in New Castle County, Delaware. He was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, a Continental Congressman from Delaware, a delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Convention of 1787, President of Delaware, and a member of the...
. William T. Quillen and Michael Hanrahan in their Short History of the Delaware Court of Chancery repeat the “folklore of the Delaware bench and bar, saying that the impetus for creating a Court of Chancery was to provide a new judicial seat for Delaware's first Chancellor, William Killen.” Killen was the elderly and highly respected incumbent Chief Justice of Delaware, and when George Read
George Read (signer)
George Read was an American lawyer and politician from New Castle in New Castle County, Delaware. He was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, a Continental Congressman from Delaware, a delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Convention of 1787, President of Delaware, and a member of the...
was considered to be the new Chief Justice of Delaware, he refused unless adequate provisions were made for Killen. A separate Court of Chancery under Killen was the solution.
Constitution of 1792
There was one Chancellor, appointed by the Governor for life.| Chancellors of Delaware | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Took Office | Left Office | Residence | Party | notes | |
| William Killen | October 6, 1793 | December 6, 1801 | Kent County Kent County, Delaware Kent County is a county located in the central part of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is coextensive with the Dover, Delaware, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 the population was 162,310, a 28.1% increase over the previous decade. The county seat is Dover, the state capital... |
Democratic-Republican Democratic-Republican Party (United States) The Democratic-Republican Party or Republican Party was an American political party founded in the early 1790s by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Political scientists use the former name, while historians prefer the latter one; contemporaries generally called the party the "Republicans", along... |
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| Nicholas Ridgely | December 6, 1801 | April 1, 1830 | Kent County Kent County, Delaware Kent County is a county located in the central part of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is coextensive with the Dover, Delaware, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 the population was 162,310, a 28.1% increase over the previous decade. The county seat is Dover, the state capital... |
Democratic-Republican Democratic-Republican Party (United States) The Democratic-Republican Party or Republican Party was an American political party founded in the early 1790s by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Political scientists use the former name, while historians prefer the latter one; contemporaries generally called the party the "Republicans", along... |
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| Kensey Johns, Sr. Kensey Johns (jurist) Kensey Johns was a jurist from Delaware and father of Kensey Johns, Jr. and John Johns.-Early life:Johns was born in Maryland. His ancestral home, Sudley, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. In his early years, he participated as a minuteman in the American Revolution... |
June 21, 1830 | January 18, 1832 | New Castle County New Castle County, Delaware New Castle County is the northernmost of the three counties of the U.S. state of Delaware. As of 2010 its population was 538,479, an increase of 7.6% over the previous decade. The county seat is Wilmington. The center of population of Delaware is located in New Castle County, in the town of... |
Whig Whig Party (United States) The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic... |
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Constitution of 1831
There was one Chancellor, appointed by the Governor for life.| Chancellors of Delaware | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Took Office | Left Office | Residence | Party | notes | |
| Kensey Johns, Jr. Kensey Johns, Jr. Kensey Johns, Jr. was an American lawyer and politician from New Castle, in New Castle County, Delaware. He was a member of the Federalist and Whig Parties who served as U.S. Representative from Delaware.... |
January 18, 1832 | March 28, 1857 | New Castle County New Castle County, Delaware New Castle County is the northernmost of the three counties of the U.S. state of Delaware. As of 2010 its population was 538,479, an increase of 7.6% over the previous decade. The county seat is Wilmington. The center of population of Delaware is located in New Castle County, in the town of... |
Whig Whig Party (United States) The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic... |
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| Samuel M. Harrington | May 4, 1857 | November 28, 1865 | Kent County Kent County, Delaware Kent County is a county located in the central part of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is coextensive with the Dover, Delaware, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 the population was 162,310, a 28.1% increase over the previous decade. The county seat is Dover, the state capital... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
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| Daniel M. Bates | December 12, 1865 | October 1873 | New Castle County New Castle County, Delaware New Castle County is the northernmost of the three counties of the U.S. state of Delaware. As of 2010 its population was 538,479, an increase of 7.6% over the previous decade. The county seat is Wilmington. The center of population of Delaware is located in New Castle County, in the town of... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
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| Willard Saulsbury, Sr. Willard Saulsbury, Sr. Willard Saulsbury, Sr. was a lawyer and politician from Georgetown, in Sussex County, Delaware. He was a member of the Democratic Party, who served as Attorney General of Delaware, U.S... |
November 14, 1873 | April 6, 1892 | Sussex County Sussex County, Delaware Sussex County is a county located in the southern part of the U.S. state of Delaware. As of 2010 the population was 197,145, an increase of 25.9% over the previous decade. The county seat is Georgetown. The Seaford Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Sussex County.Sussex County is... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
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| James L. Wolcott | May 5, 1892 | September 5, 1895 | Kent County Kent County, Delaware Kent County is a county located in the central part of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is coextensive with the Dover, Delaware, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 the population was 162,310, a 28.1% increase over the previous decade. The county seat is Dover, the state capital... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
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| John R. Nicholson | September 5, 1895 | June 10, 1897 | Kent County Kent County, Delaware Kent County is a county located in the central part of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is coextensive with the Dover, Delaware, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 the population was 162,310, a 28.1% increase over the previous decade. The county seat is Dover, the state capital... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
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Constitution of 1897
There was one Chancellor, appointed by the Governor for a 12 year term. There were also created over the years, additional Vice Chancellors, the first in 1939, a second in 1961, a third in 1984, and a fourth in 1989. They were also appointed by the Governor for a 12 year term, but are required to be equally divided between the major political parties, so that among all the Chancellors no party has a majority of more than one person.| Chancellors of Delaware | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Took Office | Left Office | Residence | Party | notes | |
| John R. Nicholson | June 10, 1897 | June 10, 1909 | Kent County Kent County, Delaware Kent County is a county located in the central part of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is coextensive with the Dover, Delaware, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 the population was 162,310, a 28.1% increase over the previous decade. The county seat is Dover, the state capital... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
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| Charles M. Curtis | June 10, 1909 | July 2, 1921 | Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
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| Josiah O. Wolcott Josiah O. Wolcott Josiah Oliver Wolcott was an American lawyer, politician and judge, from Dover, in Kent County, Delaware. He was a member of the Democratic Party, who served as Attorney General of Delaware, U.S... |
July 2, 1921 | November 11, 1938 | Kent County Kent County, Delaware Kent County is a county located in the central part of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is coextensive with the Dover, Delaware, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 the population was 162,310, a 28.1% increase over the previous decade. The county seat is Dover, the state capital... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
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| William W. Harrington | December 7, 1938 | 1950 | ||||
| Daniel F. Wolcott | 1950 | 1951 | Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
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| Collins J. Seitz Collins J. Seitz Collins Jacques Seitz was a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit from 1966 until his death in 1998.... |
1951 | July 17, 1966 | ||||
| William Duffy | July 17, 1966 | 1973 | ||||
| William T. Quillen | 1973 | 1976 | ||||
| William Marvel | September 1976 | May 1, 1982 | ||||
| Grover C. Brown | 1982 | 1985 | ||||
| William T. Allen | 1985 | 1997 | ||||
| William B. Chandler, III William B. Chandler, III William B. Chandler III is a former judge in the U.S. state of Delaware. He served on the Delaware Court of Chancery with the title of Chancellor.... |
1997 | 2011 | Sussex County Sussex County, Delaware Sussex County is a county located in the southern part of the U.S. state of Delaware. As of 2010 the population was 197,145, an increase of 25.9% over the previous decade. The county seat is Georgetown. The Seaford Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Sussex County.Sussex County is... |
Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
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| Leo E. Strine, Jr. Leo E. Strine, Jr. Leo E. Strine, Jr. is a judge in the state of Delaware. He serves on Delaware's Court of Chancery with the title of Chancellor.-Career:Strine graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1988 with his J.D., after having received his B.A. summa cum laude from the... |
2011 | New Castle County New Castle County, Delaware New Castle County is the northernmost of the three counties of the U.S. state of Delaware. As of 2010 its population was 538,479, an increase of 7.6% over the previous decade. The county seat is Wilmington. The center of population of Delaware is located in New Castle County, in the town of... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
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| Vice Chancellors of Delaware | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Took Office | Left Office | Residence | Party | notes | |
| George B. Pearson, Jr. | 1939 | 1946 | 1st | |||
| Collins J. Seitz | February 1, 1946 | 1951 | 1st | |||
| Howard W. Bramhall | 1951 | 1954 | 1st | |||
| William Marvel | September 8, 1954 | September 1976 | 1st | |||
| Maurice A. Hartnett | 1976 | 1994 | 1st | |||
| Myron T. Steele | 1994 | 2000 | 1st | |||
| John W. Noble | November 2000 | present | Kent County Kent County, Delaware Kent County is a county located in the central part of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is coextensive with the Dover, Delaware, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 the population was 162,310, a 28.1% increase over the previous decade. The county seat is Dover, the state capital... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
1st | |
| Isaac D. Short | 1961 | 1973 | 2nd | |||
| Grover C. Brown | 1973 | 1982 | 2nd | |||
| Joseph S. Longobardi | 1982 | 1984 | 2nd | |||
| Joseph T. Walsh | 1984 | 1985 | 2nd | |||
| Jack B. Jacobs | 1985 | 2003 | 2nd | |||
| Donald F. Parsons Donald F. Parsons Donald F. Parsons, Jr. is a judge in the state of Delaware. He serves on Delaware's Court of Chancery with the title of Vice Chancellor.... |
October 22, 2003 | present | Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
2nd | ||
| Carolyn Berger | 1984 | 1994 | 3rd | |||
| Bernard S. Balick | 1994 | 1998 | 3rd | |||
| Leo E. Strine, Jr. Leo E. Strine, Jr. Leo E. Strine, Jr. is a judge in the state of Delaware. He serves on Delaware's Court of Chancery with the title of Chancellor.-Career:Strine graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1988 with his J.D., after having received his B.A. summa cum laude from the... |
1998 | 2011 | New Castle County New Castle County, Delaware New Castle County is the northernmost of the three counties of the U.S. state of Delaware. As of 2010 its population was 538,479, an increase of 7.6% over the previous decade. The county seat is Wilmington. The center of population of Delaware is located in New Castle County, in the town of... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
3rd | |
| Sam Glasscock III | 2011 | present | Sussex County Sussex County, Delaware Sussex County is a county located in the southern part of the U.S. state of Delaware. As of 2010 the population was 197,145, an increase of 25.9% over the previous decade. The county seat is Georgetown. The Seaford Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Sussex County.Sussex County is... |
Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
3rd | |
| William B. Chandler, III William B. Chandler, III William B. Chandler III is a former judge in the U.S. state of Delaware. He served on the Delaware Court of Chancery with the title of Chancellor.... |
1989 | 1997 | Sussex County Sussex County, Delaware Sussex County is a county located in the southern part of the U.S. state of Delaware. As of 2010 the population was 197,145, an increase of 25.9% over the previous decade. The county seat is Georgetown. The Seaford Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Sussex County.Sussex County is... |
Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
4th | |
| Stephen P. Lamb Stephen P. Lamb Stephen P. Lamb was a judge in the U.S. state of Delaware. He served on Delaware's Court of Chancery with the title of vice chancellor.He left the court in 2009, and has now returned to private practice with the firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison.... |
1997 | 2009 | New Castle County New Castle County, Delaware New Castle County is the northernmost of the three counties of the U.S. state of Delaware. As of 2010 its population was 538,479, an increase of 7.6% over the previous decade. The county seat is Wilmington. The center of population of Delaware is located in New Castle County, in the town of... |
4th | ||
| J. Travis Laster | 2009 | present | New Castle County New Castle County, Delaware New Castle County is the northernmost of the three counties of the U.S. state of Delaware. As of 2010 its population was 538,479, an increase of 7.6% over the previous decade. The county seat is Wilmington. The center of population of Delaware is located in New Castle County, in the town of... |
Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
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See also
- Courts of DelawareCourts of DelawareCourts of Delaware include:State courts of Delaware*Delaware Supreme Court**Delaware Court of Chancery**Delaware Superior Court ***Delaware Family Court***Delaware Court of Common Pleas...
- Delaware corporationDelaware corporationThe Delaware General Corporation Law is the statute governing corporate law in the state of Delaware. Delaware is well known as a corporate haven. Over 50% of U.S...
- The Delaware Journal of Corporate LawDelaware Journal of Corporate LawThe Delaware Journal of Corporate Law is Widener University School of Law's original law review. The journal was established in 1976 and publishes three issues per annual volume. In addition to scholarly articles, the journal publishes opinions from the Delaware Court of Chancery that are not...
Places with more information
- Delaware Historical SocietyDelaware Historical SocietyThe Delaware Historical Society began in 1864 as an effort to preserve documents from the Civil War. Since then, it has expanded into a state-wide historical institution with several venues and a major museum in Wilmington and the historic Read House & Gardens in New Castle.The society...
website; 505 North Market Street, Wilmington, DelawareWilmington, DelawareWilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
19801; (302)Area code 302302 is the area code for the state of Delaware in the United States. It is one of the original area codes established in 1947.-External links:*...
655-7161 - University of DelawareUniversity of DelawareThe university is organized into seven colleges:* College of Agriculture and Natural Resources* College of Arts and Sciences* Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics* College of Earth, Ocean and Environment* College of Education and Human Development...
Library website, 181 South College Avenue, Newark, DelawareNewark, DelawareNewark is an American city in New Castle County, Delaware, west-southwest of Wilmington. According to the 2010 Census, the population of the city is 31,454. Newark is the home of the University of Delaware.- History :...
19717; (302) 831-2965
External links
- Delaware Court of Chancery homepage
- CFO.com - Delaware Rules Discusses Delaware's Court of Chancery