大理寺自北齊以來即為中央的司法機構之一。然而歷經各朝的演變，明代承襲宋代再度設置大理寺。大理寺的前身為大理司，在明太祖吳元年(1367)七月設置。其後明太祖於洪武元年(1368)即帝位，建國為「明」，並於八月將中書省轄下四司改為吏戶禮兵刑工六部分理庶務，之後革除大理司。由於受到洪武十三年(1380)廢除中書省以及更定六部官制的影響，洪武十四年(1381)再度恢復設置大理寺。洪武二十九年(1396)大理寺再度遭罷。洪武三十一年(1398)年九月明惠帝隨即恢復大理寺，又於建文元年(1399)二月改制大理寺為大理司。建文四年(1402)六月明成祖發動靖難平定南京並恢復洪武時期的政令，大理寺再度恢復為洪武十四年(1381)的規制。 明成祖恢復祖制以後大理寺參與中央司法審判處於會官審錄模式與平行的兩組司法審判系統之間，這兩套司法審判模式大致至明英宗時期明朗成形。明英宗時期大理寺參與的司法審判模式大致有幾項：一是平行的兩組司法審判系統，二是會官審錄系統。大理寺執行審判的流程，主要是透過平行的兩組司法審判系統，之後交付大理寺決定是否決審或續審，決審則交由原審判機構發落，續審則交付廷議採用會官審錄的模式執行。而明開國以後大理寺官員除執行中央司法審判的業務以外，尤其至靖難以後大理寺官員肩負至外地巡視、撫察民情、清理軍籍以及駐邊守備等公差，更有甚者大理寺官員如大理寺卿也擔任殿試讀卷官或經筵講讀官。 本研究時間斷限自從吳元年設置大理司開始，至成化九年(1473)王槩(1418-1474)卸任北京大理寺卿為止；主要探討大理寺在明代前期的發展變遷以及觀察大理寺官員與朝廷、制度之間的動態研究，並進而深入瞭解大理寺對明代前期中央司法審判運作的影響。 The Grand Court of Revision was an agency in the capital since the North Chi dynasty around the 6th century A.D. Through all the periods, the Ming times imitated the regime from the Song dynasty that rebuilds the Grand Court of Revision once again. The Grand Court of Revision was changed several times by the Ming government from 1367 to 1381. Ming Chengzu restored the ancestral system for the judiciary. The Grand Court of Revision participated in the trial between the collegiate system and two sets of parallel justice system, both systems of judiciary were shaped clearly until the period of Ming Yingzong. The Grand Court of Revision participated in the trial between two different systems during The Ming Yingzong period. First was the two sets of parallel justice system, The Grand Court of Revision was often mainly through two sets of parallel justice system, then the Grand Court of Revision must decide to end the trial or continue the trial. If the trial were ended, the Grand Court of Revision must be handed over to the original trial. Or if the trial were continued, the Grand Court of Revision must be through the collegiate system to end the trial. After the founding of the Ming times, the officials from the Grand Court of Revision directed their duties on the work, and they also had their own public errand to do. The timeline of the research was begun from the Grand Court of Revision built in 1473 until to Wang Gai (1418-1474) retired from the chief minister of the Grand Court of Revision in Beijing. The regime of the Grand Court of Revision and the official of Grand Court of Revision will be discussed as follows in every chapter. The research will stress on the Grand Court of Revision how to impact the judiciary during the early Ming times.
