Wolsey in overseeing Law and Order

His aims

Punish any wrong-doer, attack corruption and deal with problems causing disorder

Responsible for?

Overseeing the legal system, precided over the Court of Chancery and the Court of Star Chamber

Success - How many proceedings were taken and against who?

Taken against 9 nobles, 3 bishops, 32 knights, 51 Heads of Religious houses and several Oxford colleges

Success - Against enclosures

1517-18 encouraged an enquiry into enclosure which allowed the Court of Chancery to take legal action, between 1518-29 legal action taken against 264 persons

Success - Court of Star Chamber cases

Went from 12-120 cases a year, great nobles brought before this court, 1515 Earl of Northumberland was sent to Fleet Prison

Failures - Court of Chancery

Became too popular, clogged, justice became slow

Failures - Courts of Poor Man’s request

Established in 1519 to specifically hear cases brought by the poor, planned to send comissioners to every shire to hear cases in 1526 but never happened, failed to achieve anything overall

Failures - Court of Star Chamber

Forced Wolsey to set up a series of ‘overflow tribunals’ to deal with the pressure of business

Failures - Wolsey’s qualifications

Not a trained lawyer, many resented him, his changes were piecemeal, not long-term, used court to carry out personal vendettas against his school teacher (Sir Amyas Paulet) kept him on daily attendance for 5 years