High Court of Justice (1649)
The High Court of Justice was the court established by the Rump Parliament to try Charles I, King of England, Scotland and Ireland. Even though this was an ad hoc tribunal that was specifically created for the purpose of trying the king, its name was eventually used by the government as a designation for subsequent courts.
Background
The English Civil War had been raging for nearly an entire decade. After the First English Civil War, the parliamentarians accepted the premise that the King, although wrong, had been able to justify his fight, and that he would still be entitled to limited powers as King under a new constitutional settlement. By provoking the Second English Civil War even while defeated and in captivity, Charles was held responsible for unjustifiable bloodshed. The secret "Engagement" treaty with the Scots was considered particularly unpardonable; "a more prodigious treason", said Oliver Cromwell, "than any that had been perfected before; because the former quarrel was that Englishmen might rule over one another; this to vassalize us to a foreign nation."[1] Cromwell up to this point had supported negotiations with the king but now rejected further negotiations.[1]
In making war against Parliament, the king had caused the deaths of thousands. Estimated deaths from the first two English civil wars has been reported as 84,830 killed with estimates of another 100,000 dying from war-related disease.[2] The war deaths totalled approximately 3.6% of the population,[3] estimated to be around 5.1 million in 1650.[4]
Following the second civil war, the
Furious that Parliament continued to countenance Charles as King, troops of the New Model Army marched on Parliament and purged the House of Commons in an act later known as "Pride's Purge" after the commanding officer of the operation. On Wednesday, 6 December 1648, Colonel Thomas Pride's Regiment of Foot took up position on the stairs leading to the House, while Nathaniel Rich's Regiment of Horse provided backup. Pride himself stood at the top of the stairs. As Members of Parliament (MPs) arrived, he checked them against the list provided to him. Troops arrested 45 MPs and kept 146 out of parliament.
Only seventy-five people were allowed to enter and, even then, only at the army's bidding. On 13 December, the "
The role of Parliament in ending a reign
Neither the involvement of Parliament in ending a reign nor the idea of trying a monarch was entirely novel. In two prior examples, the parliament had requested both the abdication of Edward II, and that of Richard II, in 1327 and 1399 respectively. However, in both these cases, Parliament acted at the behest of the new monarch. Parliament had established a regency council for Henry VI, although this was at the instigation of senior noblemen and Parliament claimed to be acting in the King's name.
In the case of
Establishing the court
After the King had been moved to London, the Rump Parliament passed a Bill setting up what was described as a High Court of Justice in order to try Charles I for
Charles was accused of treason against England by using his power to pursue his personal interest rather than the good of England.[9] The charge against Charles I stated that the king, "for accomplishment of such his designs, and for the protecting of himself and his adherents in his and their wicked practices, to the same ends hath traitorously and maliciously levied war against the present Parliament, and the people therein represented", that the "wicked designs, wars, and evil practices of him, the said Charles Stuart, have been, and are carried on for the advancement and upholding of a personal interest of will, power, and pretended prerogative to himself and his family, against the public interest, common right, liberty, justice, and peace of the people of this nation".[9] The indictment held him "guilty of all the treasons, murders, rapines, burnings, spoils, desolations, damages and mischiefs to this nation, acted and committed in the said wars, or occasioned thereby".[9]
Although the
The commissioners met to make arrangements for the trial on 8 January[a] when well under half were present – a pattern that was to be repeated at subsequent sessions. On 10 January, John Bradshaw was chosen as President of the Court. During the following ten days, arrangements for the trial were completed; the charges were finalised and the evidence to be presented was collected.
Trial Proceeding
The trial began on 20 January 1649 in Westminster Hall, with a moment of high drama. After the proceedings were declared open, Solicitor General John Cook rose to announce the indictment; standing immediately to the right of the King, he began to speak, but he had uttered only a few words when Charles attempted to stop him by tapping him sharply on the shoulder with his cane and ordering him to "Hold". Cook ignored this and continued, so Charles poked him a second time and rose to speak; despite this, Cook continued. At this point Charles, incensed at being thus ignored, struck Cook across the shoulder so forcefully that the ornate silver tip of the cane broke off, rolled down Cook's gown and clattered onto the floor between them. With nobody willing to pick it up for him, Charles had to stoop down to retrieve it himself.[12][13]
When given the opportunity to speak, Charles refused to enter a plea, claiming that no court had jurisdiction over a monarch.[14] He believed that his own authority to rule had been due to the divine right of kings given to him by God, and by the traditions and laws of England when he was crowned and anointed, and that the power wielded by those trying him was simply that of force of arms.[14] Charles insisted that the trial was illegal, explaining, "No learned lawyer will affirm that an impeachment can lie against the King ... one of their maxims is, that the King can do no wrong."[14] Charles asked "I would know by what power I am called hither. I would know by what authority, I mean lawful [authority]".[15] Charles maintained that the House of Commons on its own could not try anybody, and so he refused to plead. The court challenged the doctrine of sovereign immunity and proposed that "the King of England was not a person, but an office whose every occupant was entrusted with a limited power to govern 'by and according to the laws of the land and not otherwise'."[16]
The court proceeded as if the king had pleaded guilty (pro confesso), rather than subjecting Charles to the peine forte et dure, that is, pressing with stones, as was standard practice in case of a refusal to plead.[17] However, witnesses were heard by the judges for "the further and clearer satisfaction of their own judgement and consciences".[18] Thirty witnesses were summoned, but some were later excused. The evidence was heard in the Painted Chamber rather than Westminster Hall. King Charles was not present to hear the evidence against him and he had no opportunity to question witnesses.
The King was declared guilty at a public session on Saturday 27 January 1649 and sentenced to death. His sentence read: "That the court being satisfied that he, Charles Stuart, was guilty of the crimes of which he had been accused, did judge him tyrant, traitor, murderer, and public enemy to the good people of the nation, to be put to death by the severing of his head from his body." To show their agreement with the sentence, all of the 67 Commissioners who were present rose to their feet. During the rest of that day and on the following day, signatures were collected for his death warrant. This was eventually signed by 59 of the Commissioners, including two who had not been present when the sentence was passed.[19]
Execution
King Charles was beheaded in front of the Banqueting House of the Palace of Whitehall on 30 January 1649. He declared that he had desired the liberty and freedom of the people as much as any;
but I must tell you that their liberty and freedom consists in having government. ... It is not their having a share in the government; that is nothing appertaining unto them. A subject and a sovereign are clean different things.[1]
Aftermath
Following the execution of Charles I, there was further large-scale fighting in
The High Court of Justice during the Interregnum
The name continued to be used during the interregnum (the period from the execution of Charles I until the restoration). James Earl of Cambridge was tried and executed on 9 March 1649 by the 'High Court of Justice'.
In subsequent years the High Court of Justice was reconstituted under the following Acts, all voided upon the Restoration since they did not receive royal assent:
- 26 March 1650: An Act for Establishing an High Court of Justice
- 27 August 1650: An Act giving further Power to the High Court of Justice
- 10 December 1650: An Act for Establishing an High Court of Justice within the Counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, Huntington, Cambridge, Lincoln, and the Counties of the Cities of Norwich and Lincoln, and within the Isle of Ely.
- 21 November 1653: An Act For The Establishing An High Court of Justice.
On 30 June 1654, John Gerard and Peter Vowell were tried for high treason by the High Court of Justice sitting in Westminster Hall. They had planned to assassinate the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell and restore Charles II as king. The plotters were found guilty and executed.
The restoration and beyond
After
The charges against the king were echoed in the American colonists against George III a century later, that the king had been "trusted with a limited power to govern by and according to the laws of the land, and not otherwise; and by his trust, oath, and office, being obliged to use the power committed to him for the good and benefit of the people, and for the preservation of their rights and liberties; yet, nevertheless, out of a wicked design to erect and uphold in himself an unlimited and tyrannical power to rule according to his will, and to overthrow the rights and liberties of the people..."[9]
References
- Nenner, Howard. "Regicides (act. 1649)". doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/70599. (Subscription or UK public library membershiprequired.)
- The Hon Justice Michael Kirby AC CMG The trial of King Charles I – defining moment for our constitutional liberties, to the Anglo-Australasian Lawyers' association, on 22 January 1999.
- February 1649 An Act to prevent the printing of any the Proceedings in the High Court of Justice, Erected for Trying of James Earl of Cambridge, and others, Without leave of the House of Commons, or the said Court
- British History online
Further reading
- Trial of King Charles I - UK Parliament Living Heritage
- Full text of the Ordinance that established the court
- Victor Louis Stater. The Political History of Tudor and Stuart England, p. 144 Charges against Charles I
- T. B Howell, T.B. A Complete Collection of State Trials and Proceedings for High Treason other crimes and misdemeanors from the earliest period until the year 1783 Volume 12 of 21 Charles I to Charles II: The Trial of Charles Stuart, King of England; Before the High court of Justice, for High Treason
- Text of the sentence
- House of Lords Record Office: The Death Warrant of King Charles I
- Full text of the Act abolishing the Office of King, 17 March, 1649
- Geoffrey Robertson, The Tyrannicide Brief (2005), Chatto & Windus
- Contemporary London Gazette report on the trial and execution of Charles I
Footnotes
- ^ All dates in this article are in the Old Style (Julian calendar) used in Great Britain throughout Charles's lifetime; however, years are assumed to start on 1 January rather than 25 March (Lady Day), which was the English New Year.
References
- ^ a b c "King Charles I". Luminarium Encyclopedia. Retrieved 8 April 2010.
- ^ Samuel Charles Carlton (1992). "Going to the Wars: the experience of the British Civil Wars, 1638–1651". Oxford University Press. Retrieved 8 April 2010.
- ^ "The National Archives | Civil War | Why did people want the king back in 1646? | Key people & events". www.nationalarchives.gov.uk. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
- ISBN 9780521296359. Retrieved 8 April 2010.
grigg.
- ^ "Historical preface: 1647–49", Charters and Documents relating to the City of Glasgow 1175–1649, Part 1 (1897), pp. CDLXXV–DXIX. Accessed 12 March 2007.
- doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/8154. (Subscription or UK public library membershiprequired.)
- ^ Edwards, Graham (1999). The last Days of Charles I. Sutton. p. 98.
- ^ doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/37109. (Subscription or UK public library membershiprequired.)
- ^ a b c d Samuel Rawson Gardiner, ed. (1906). "The Charge against the King". The Constitutional Documents of the Puritan Revolution 1625–1660. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 8 April 2010.
- ^ Edwards, G., The Last Days of Charles I, Sutton, 1999.
- ^ a b Nenner citing Wedgwood, p. 122.
- ISBN 978-0-14-101014-4.
- ISBN 0-7011-7602-4.
- ^ a b c Samuel Rawson Gardiner, ed. (1906). "The King's reasons for declining the jurisdiction of the High Court of Justice". The Constitutional Documents of the Puritan Revolution 1625–1660. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 8 April 2010.
- ^ Charles I opening speech at his trial
- ^ Robertson 2005, p. 15.
- ^ –Jenkins, J. P. "Peine forte et dure". Encyclopædia Britannica. Accessed 22 September 2019
- ^ Robertson 2005, p. 173.
- ^ "The Death Warrant of King Charles I". House of Lords Record Office.