Star Chamber: Meaning and Definition of

Star' Cham"ber

Pronunciation: [key]
  1. a former court of inquisitorial and criminal jurisdiction in England that sat without a jury and that became noted for its arbitrary methods and severe punishments, abolished 1641.
  2. any tribunal, committee, or the like, which proceeds by arbitrary or unfair methods.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.