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The Court of Castle Chamber was an Irish Court which operated in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. It was established by Queen Elizabeth I in 1571 to deal with cases of riot, offences against public order and offences which threatened the security of the Crown. It was explicitly modelled on the English Court of Star Chamber, and it was often referred to simply as ''Star Chamber.''〔Ball, F. Elrington ''The Judges in Ireland 1221–1921'' John Murray London 1926 Vol.1 p.255〕 Its own name was taken from the chamber (which no longer exists) which was specially built for it in Dublin Castle, over the main gate. Like Star Chamber, it was initially very popular with members of the public who, under the guise of complaining about cases of riot, brought their private lawsuits to Castle Chamber, which was often swamped with business of this kind as a result. Its jurisdiction to hear private cases was often questioned, and was not finally confirmed until 1634. In the seventeenth century, like its English counterpart Star Chamber, Castle Chamber was seen by the Stuart dynasty as an essential instrument for enforcing strong royal government, and it became highly unpopular as a result. Its use by Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford, who as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1632-1641) was virtually all-powerful, as a method of subduing his, or the King's, political opponents was one of the principal reasons for his downfall in 1641.〔Wedgwood, C. V. ''Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford 1593-1641- a revaluation'' Phoenix Press reissue 2000 pp. 342–5〕 During the political upheaval caused by the Irish Rebellion of 1641, the Court simply ceased to operate, although there is no record that it was ever formally abolished. ==Origins, structure and procedure== While Star Chamber developed gradually over a long time, Castle Chamber was established by a special commission under the privy seal of Queen Elizabeth I in June 1571. Due to the perceived ineffectiveness of the regular Irish courts in dealing with serious crimes, the establishment of a separate Star Chamber jurisdiction in Ireland was a key reform proposed by successive Lord Deputies, notably Sir Henry Sidney, (who in the months before his recall from Ireland helped to draw up the plans for the new court), and in time this project gained the support of William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley, and of the Queen herself. In the Queen's own words: ''to the intent that such pernicious evils and griefs shall not escape without just and due correction, we have thought it meet to appoint that a particular court for the hearing and determination of those detestable enormities faults and offences shall be holden within the castle of Dublin''.〔Crawford, Jon G. ''A Star Chamber Court in Ireland-the Court of Castle Chamber 1571–1641'' Four Courts Press Dublin 2005 p.196〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Court of Castle Chamber」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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