Britain’s William Laud had spies listen to pastors’ sermon to see if they said anything against the king’s ordinances. If they did, the pastors were arrested. Decisions to punish political enemies of the king were made in the secret “Star Chamber.” No witnesses were allowed in these arbitrary and oppressive inquisitions.
Though started with the intention to cut through the red tape of bureaucracy, Britain’s Court of Star Chamber usurped power to be a political weapon for intimidating and punishing opponents to the king’s policies. Subject to hostile questioning, if individuals gave unsatisfactory answers, they were charged with perjury; and if they did not answer for fear of self-incrimination, they were held in contempt of court.
The abuses of England’s Star Chamber led America’s founders to include the Fifth Amendment in the U.S. Constitution....
