"Star Chamber" is one of the organs of the judiciary in England

Throughout its existence, English society has paid much attention to the implementation of justice. Like any other social institution, the English court quickly reacted to changes in the social environment of the inhabitants of England. The famous "Star Chamber" was no exception. This legal phenomenon has existed for quite some time and has performed various functions.

Causes of appearance

The "Star Chamber" in England arose during the reign of Henry VII. Initially, this legal institution was designed to investigate crimes committed by wayward noblemen after the civil wars of the Scarlet and White Roses. The arbitrariness of feudal lords, accustomed to arbitrariness, led to a large number of crimes against the life and property of English subjects. Henry VII issued a statute limiting the creation of armed suites and private military formations. The execution of this decree was strictly monitored, the offender was awaited by arrest and trial.

Occurrence

"Star Chamber" - a judicial body, reporting directly to the king, and dealt with cases of violation of royal decrees and disobedience to royal power. According to the standard version, it received its name Star-Chamber because of the ceiling in the courtroom, which was decorated with stars. Although at that time there were different spellings of the name of this institution. Accordingly, the interpretation of the name of this judicial body may be different.

Royal "Star Chamber" was created to protect the rights of the British from any class and to limit the powers of rebellious barons. And at first she accepted the cases of all comers for consideration, guaranteeing an expeditious and fair trial by the royal power.

Transformation of credentials

From one king to another, the new judiciary regularly performed its functions. But the constant strengthening of absolute power in the country could not but affect the judicial system. Under King Henry VIII, the "Star Chamber" is a court instance that deals with crimes against royal power. The court turned into a means of punishing the unwanted and dissatisfied strengthening of the royal autocracy, and also as a way to attract even more revenue to the king's treasury. The accused could have cleared himself of charges by paying a fine to the coffers of the crown.

Under Elizabeth the English "Star Chamber" is a court in which the testimony of the accused was beaten up by torture and self-mutilation. At the same time, the system of fines and ransoms only increased and reached astronomical sums. This court became more politicized, by its decision, earlier sentences were revoked, its representatives themselves chose cases in which they were interested.

In 1641 by decision of the parliament as a judicial organ of the royal power, the "Star Chamber" ceased to exist. Later this phrase was used rarely. Only in our time an unusual name attracted the attention of script writers. On the stage, the "Star Chamber" reappears. A film with this name was released in 1983.