Catalan Courts

The Catalan Courts or General Court of Catalonia (Corts Catalanes or Cort General de Catalunya ; ) was the policymaking and parliamentary body of the Principality of Catalonia from the thirteenth to the eighteenth century. The courts were made up of three arms or estates: the military estate which included representatives from the nobility, the ecclesiastical estate which saw representatives from the religious hierarchy and the royal estate which had representatives from the municipalities. The courts were summoned by the king who opened with a royal proclamation while the arms were in charge of legislating, always with the support of the sovereign. If the laws that were approved came from the king they received the name of "Constitutions", if they came from the arms, "Court Chapters". If the king passed a law unilaterally it was called "Acts of Courts" and required ratification by the courts.