enquiry) or Hikitsuke-kata (引付方) (High Court) was one of the judicial organs of the Kamakura and Muromachi shogunates of Japan.
The Hikitsuke was established by the fifth shikken Hōjō Tokiyori in 1249[1] to expedite an increasing number of lawsuits in the higher Hyojosho court.
The Hikitsuke was responsible for establishing the facts of a case, while the Hyojosho would interpret the applications of law.
Submitting only one verdict per lawsuit, the Hikitsuke later became a de facto full law court.
In addition, the Hikitsukeshu and Hyojoshu lost effective power to the yoriai, which was held at tokuso's residence.