Star Chamber

noun

1. a former court of inquisitorial and criminal jurisdiction in England that sat without a jury and that became noted for its arbitrary methods and severe punishments, abolished 1641.
2. any tribunal, committee, or the like, which proceeds by arbitrary or unfair methods.

Star Chamber

noun

1. English history the Privy Council sitting as a court of equity, esp powerful under the Tudor monarchs; abolished 1641
2. sometimes not capitals any arbitrary tribunal dispensing summary justice
3. sometimes not capitals (in Britain, in a Conservative government) a group of senior ministers who make the final decision on the public spending of each government department

Star Chamber

1. A royal court that began in England in the Middle Ages ; cases were heard there without juries. Under the early Stuart kings, it was known for its tyrannical judgments. The name came from the courtroom's ceiling, which was painted with stars.

Notes

Star Chamber is used as a general descriptive term for arbitrary tactics by a judge.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Star Chamber¹

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400

Example Sentences

The Star Chamber of the Supreme Court won’t side with him in any case.

From Salon

“Knight was subjected to a Star Chamber process to adhere to the party line — that I had been acting in bad faith and had not adhered to the process,” Bolton wrote.

From New York Times

Last year Mr. Francois revived a committee of right-wing legal experts who called themselves the “Star Chamber,” calling on them to render a verdict on the Rwanda bill.

From New York Times

It had been a while since I'd heard mention of a "Star Chamber".

From BBC

Enter the ERG's Star Chamber, who, we're told, are studying the bill "forensically".

From BBC