Star Chamber

The Star Chamber was an English court of law at the royal Palace of Westminster that began sessions in 1487 and ended them in 1641 when the court itself was abolished. The court was so named because the court chamber had a pattern of stars on a dark blue background painted on its ceiling.

Related Topics:
English - Court of law - Palace of Westminster - 1487 - 1641

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In modern usage, legal or administrative bodies with strict, arbitrary rulings and secretive proceedings are sometimes called star chambers.

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The Star Chamber evolved from meetings of the king's royal council, with its roots going back to the medieval period. The court only became unusually powerful during the reign of Henry VII of England, when in 1487 the court became a separate judicial body from the king's council with a mandate to hear petitions of redress.

Related Topics:
King's - Henry VII of England - 1487

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Initially well regarded because of its speed and flexibility, it was made up of Privy Councillors as well as common-law judges and supplemented the activities of the common-law and equity courts in both civil and criminal matters. In a sense the court was a supervisory body, overseeing the operations of lower courts, though its members could hear cases by direct appeal as well. The court was set up to ensure the fair enforcement of laws against prominent people, those so powerful that ordinary courts could never convict them of their crimes.

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