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Simple English definitions for legal terms
Court of the Lord High Steward
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A quick definition of Court of the Lord High Steward:
Court of the Lord High Steward: A court that was responsible for trying a noble person who was accused of committing a serious crime like treason or felony. This court only met when the House of Lords was not in session. The Lord High Steward acted as a judge and made decisions about the law, while the peers only decided on the facts of the case. The Court of the Lord High Steward last met in 1688.
A more thorough explanation:
The Court of the Lord High Steward was a judicial body that was responsible for trying peers who were indicted for treason or a felony. It only met when the House of Lords was not in session. The Lord High Steward acted as a judge and made decisions on questions of law, while the peers decided on facts.
One example of the Court of the Lord High Steward in action was during the trial of the Earl of Strafford in 1641. He was accused of high treason and the Court was convened to try him. Another example was during the trial of the Duke of Norfolk in 1572, who was also accused of treason.
These examples illustrate how the Court of the Lord High Steward was used to try peers who were accused of serious crimes. The Court was only used in rare circumstances, and its last sitting was in 1688.
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