Qn

authority of the Star Chamber were abolished,
and were declared to have been a usurpation
contrary to the laws of the land. After 1688 the
authority of the Privy Council, in judicial matters,
was limited to (I) committing persons for trial in
cases of treason ; (2) hearing appeals from the
Ecclesiastical and Admiralty Courts ; and (3) hearing
 appeals from the colonies and dependencies of the
Crown. The later developments of constitutional
government have vested the entire executive authority
in the Cabinet of Ministers of the Crown ; while the
Judicature Acts in 18735 removed their appellate jurisdiction
 in England to the Supreme Court of Judicature.
 The only vestige of their authority now
remaining is that of hearing appeals, as the Queen’s
Court, from India and the colonies. These functions
are exercised by a Judicial Committee of the Privy
Council. The constitution and powers of this Committee
 may be briefly examined.

Constitution of the Privy Council in regard to India,
The first occasion, upon which the right of
appeal from the judgments of the Courts in India
was granted by Royal Charter to the Privy Council,
was in 4. D. 1726, The Charter granted by George
I, in that year established the Mayors’ Courts in the
three presidencies, which gave a right of appeal from
those Courts, first to the Governors in Council, and
thence to the Privy Council, where the amount in
dispute exceeded Rs. 4,000. Both the Acts of Parla.