Page "Privilege of peerage" Paragraph 9

In the Lord High Steward's Court, a group of Lords Triers, sitting under the chairmanship of the Lord High Steward, acted as judge and jury.

By custom the number of Triers was not fewer than 23, so that a majority was a minimum of 12, but in fact the number ranged from 20 to 35.

The power to choose which peers served as Triers lay with the Crown and was sometimes subject to abuse, as only those peers who agreed with the monarch's position would be summoned to the Court of the Lord High Steward, thereby favouring the desired verdict.

This practice was ended by the Treason Act 1695, passed during the reign of King William III.

The Act required that all peers be summoned as Triers.

All subsequent trials were held before the full House of Lords.