Editing New France (section)

===Acadia===

Unlike Canada, [[Acadia]]'s judicial system was somewhat under-developed during the New France period. Prior to 1670, [[Acadia]] was in a state of being contested between various European colonists. None of the Euroean countries—France, England, the Netherlands—were able to put in place a stable jurisdiction there.

In 1670, France regained control of Acadia and appointed Mathieu de Goutin as the Civil and Criminal Lieutenant (''lieutenant civil et criminel'') of Acadia.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Lieutenant Civil et Criminel: Mathieu de Goutin en Acadie Française (1688–1710) |last=Vanderlinden |first=Jacques |publisher=Chaire d'études acadiennes, Université de Moncton |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-9192-4116-9 |location=Moncton, New Brunswick |page=28 }}</ref> Simultaneously, the [[Governor of Acadia]] was set up and his job was primarily the defense of [[Acadia]] from English attacks.{{sfnp|Vanderlinden|2004|page=55}} The Civil and Criminal Lieutenant was essentially supervised by the Governor, who held superior judicial authority over the Lieutenant, but for most of the time would let the Lieutenant mediate and decide legal affairs.{{sfnp|Vanderlinden|2004|page=201}}

Due to the situation in [[Acadia]] as a small settlement of around 399 settlers in 1670–71, vulnerable to foreign invasion, courts were minimal, consisting of only a Civil and Criminal Lieutenant and a king's attorney.{{sfnp|Vanderlinden|2004|page=55}} There was not an official court in [[Acadia]], although the king's attorney of Acadia performed very similar duties as his counterpart in New France.{{sfnp|Vanderlinden|2004|page=69}} Yet since [[Acadia]] never actually had a court, there was no clerk of court; instead, trials were recorded by a local [[Civil law notary|notary]].{{sfnp|Vanderlinden|2004|page=69}} It is difficult to trace the judicial history of French Acadia as the relevant archives were destroyed in a fire in 1708.{{sfnp|Vanderlinden|2004|page=69}}