Court of High Commission

Court of High Commission

The Court of High Commission was the supreme ecclesiastic court in England. It was instituted by the crown during the Reformation and finally dissolved by parliament in 1641. The court was convened at will by the sovereign, and had near unlimited power over civil as well as church matters.

One such court was created by King James II on 27 July 1686, which lasted until 26 August 1688.

Triennial Act Dissolves Court of High Commission

The Court of High Commission was dissolved by the Triennial Act, passed by Parliament. The Triennial Act held that the Crown summon Parliament every three years. It also impeached archbishop William Laud, who had been supported by Charles I. Laud's new ideas and prayers had upset the Scots, and when Charles was refused an army from Parliament, which did not trust him, he created his own. This led in part to the English Civil War.

Sources

  • 'High Commission, Court of' [1], retrieved 4 August 2005
  • The Glorious Revolution of 1688 [2], retrieved 4 August 2005
  • ' A History of the Woodforde Family from 1300' [3], retrieved 4 August 2005