Nominate Reports - coverage - reprinted in ER
Style (Sty) 1646-1655 KB 82 ER
Hardres (Hardr) 1655-1669 Ex. 145 ER
Nelson (Nels) 1625-1693 Ch. 21 ER
Dickens (Dick) 1559-1798 Ch. 21 ER
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Working with the surviving court archives
For the first time, a ruling monarch was the defendant in formal legal proceedings in a High Court of Justice, set up by the act of a Parliament which felt able to profess to be the supreme power in the land. (For text of this act see Rushworth, Historical Collections v 8, 1379)
The charges were that he "had a wicked design totally to subvert the ancient and fundamental laws and liberties of this nation", and that he had "levied and maintained a civil war in the land."
Charles I denied the competence of the court, and refused to plead.
After four days, this stance was deemed to be a confession. He was sentenced to death, by beheading.