A judge's chambers is the office of a judge, where the judge may hear certain types of
cases, instead of
in open court
In open court is a legal term in the United States defined by the appearance by a party or their attorney in a public court session such as during a public trial. Normally, the public may be present at trials, hearings and similar routine matte ...
.
Description
A judge's chambers is the office of a judge, where certain types of matters can be heard "in chambers", also known as ''
in camera
''In camera'' (; Latin: "in a chamber"). is a legal term that means ''in private''. The same meaning is sometimes expressed in the English equivalent: ''in chambers''. Generally, ''in-camera'' describes court cases, parts of it, or process wh ...
'', rather than in open court. Generally, cases heard in chambers are cases, or parts of cases, in which the public and press are not allowed to observe the procedure.
[Eugene Ehrlich, ''Amo, Amas, Amat and More'', p. 151.] Judge's chambers are often located on upper floors of the
courthouse, away from the
courtrooms, sometimes in groupings of judge's chambers; however, they may also be directly adjacent to the courtroom to which the judge is assigned. In some jurisdictions, a courtroom, rather than the judge's actual chambers, is used to hear matters "in chambers". Such courtrooms may also be called "chambers".
History
In English legal history, there was no such statutory sanction for the process before 1821, though the custom can be traced back to the 17th century. That year, an Act of Parliament provided for sittings in chambers between terms, and an act of 1822 empowered the sovereign to call upon the judges by warrant to sit in chambers on as many days in vacation as should seem fit; later the
Law Terms Act 1830 defined the jurisdiction to be exercised at chambers. The Judges' Chambers Act 1867 was the first Act, however, to lay down proper regulations for chamber work, and the
Supreme Court of Judicature Act 1873
The Supreme Court of Judicature Act 1873 (sometimes known as the Judicature Act 1873) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom in 1873. It reorganised the English court system to establish the High Court and the Court of Appeal, and ...
preserved that jurisdiction and gave power to increase it thereafter.
References
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Venue (law)
English legal terminology