First recorded in 1293, the commissary was a judicial officer appointed by the Chancellor to act as his deputy. In the early modern period he presided over a court, sitting at least weekly, with jurisdiction over members of the university below the degree of MA and also conducting much of the business which might otherwise have swamped the Vice-Chancellor’s court. By Statute B.VI as amended by Grace 6 of 20 June 1936 the Commissary was required to certify that charges laid before the Septemviri were fit or not fit to be entertained, and there are currently moves to widen the responsibilities of the office in various respects. Appointment is by the Chancellor, by Letters Patent. For a brief account of the history of the office see E. S. Leedham-Green, ‘The duties of the office are negligible, but its honour is considerable’, Cambridge 26 (1990)11–15. For a list of commissaries go to http://http://venn.lib.cam.ac.uk/Documents/acad/lists/index.html
