English ecclesiastical court instituted by Henry VIII to enforce the Act of Supremacy (1534).
It became a controversial instrument of repression, used against those who refused to acknowledge the authority of the Church of England . Its main function, and the most controversial, was administration of the oath ex officio, committing one to answer even self-incriminating questions; those who refused to take the oath were turned over to the feared Court of Star Chamber . Opposition, mainly from the Puritans and the common lawyers, resulted in the court's abolishment by Parliament in 1641. See also prerogative court .