Star Chamber

American  

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.

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Star Chamber British  

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

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Star Chamber Cultural  

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.

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Discover More

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

Etymology

Origin of Star Chamber

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Star Chamber

The English abolished prerogative courts like the Star Chamber because they were instruments of oppression and vehicles for corruption.

From Slate ● Feb. 26, 2025

While we are centuries removed from the Star Chamber, we don’t have to look far to find public officials who find it more convenient to operate behind closed doors.

From Washington Times ● Mar. 12, 2018

Terry Hartle, senior vice president at the American Council on Education, called the civil rights office “a Court of Star Chamber, with arbitrary rulings, no rights for those under investigation and a secret process.”

From Washington Post ● Jul. 3, 2016

“These decisions are shrouded in such complete secrecy that they make the proceedings of the former English Court of Star Chamber appear to be a model of criminal justice transparency,” Judge Bennett wrote in 2013.

From New York Times ● Aug. 26, 2015

Eventually, I uncovered a restricted area called the Star Chamber.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline