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.

Under the Tudors

Under the House of Tudors, the mandate of the court expanded to include instances of public disorder and rioting. Judges would receive petitions involving property rights, public corruption, trade and government administration, and disputes arising from land enclosures. Although the court could order torture (which it did but rarely), incarceration in prison, and fines, it did not have the power to impose the death sentence. Under the Tudors, Star Chamber sessions were public.

Related Topics:
House of Tudor - Corruption - Torture - Incarceration

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