Henry VII & Justice Flashcards
What methods were used to maintain justice in the kingdom?
- The Star Chamber
- The Court of Chancery
- The Court of Equity
- Justices of the Peace
- Bonds and recognisances
What was the Star Chamber and what did it do?
- Created by the Star Chamber Act in 1487
- Established to prosecute rioting, rebellion, retaining and corruption of justice
- Heard petitions (appeals) against rulings from other courts
How did the Star Chamber affect Henry’s reputation?
- Star Chamber (as well as CLiL) undermined Henry’s reputation for justice, especially among the upper classes
What was the Court of Chancery and what did it do?
- Heard cases on feudal land disputes and complaints about mistakes made by the Crown
- Sometimes mistakes by the king were acknowledged -> the CoC dealt with them and gave compensation if necessary
Was the CoC powerful?
Council Learned in Law became much more powerful where feudal dues were concerned
What was the Court of Equity and what did it do?
- Monarch could dispense justice if the law was unable to deal with a crime adequately
Example of when the Court of Equity was used?
If the defendant was very powerful locally making juries scared to convict
What were Justices of Peace and what did they do?
- Were responsible for the implementation of laws, govt policies and public order
- Given more power under Henry VII
- From 1495 they could vet juries and replace jury members thought to have been bribed
- Appointed by Henry annually and increasingly chose less important landowners than big landowners
Example of how JPs were given more power under Henry?
From 1487 they could grant bail to people awaiting trial
What were bonds and recognisances and who were they given to?
- Payments made to guarentee good behaviour
- Usually applied to members of the nobility whose loyalty was uncertain
Who enforced bonds and recognisances?
The Council Learned in Law
