Council of Magical Law

The Council of Magical Law is a Ministry of Magic board comprised of a judge, a panel of members and jury, with competence to pass a verdict on criminal cases as well as reviewing information given to them by convicted criminals. The Council is hierarchically inferior to the Wizengamot, which is the Wizard High Court. They also employ a number of guards in their service.

Trials are brief, with members being presented the evidence against the accused beforehand. The accused is only brought in to give his testimony before the panel of jurors pronounces judgement. Notably, on the trial of Bartemius Crouch Jr. and Rabastan, Rodolphus and Bellatrix Lestrange, the accused were not allowed to provide testimony before being given a life sentence in Azkaban. People external to the Council were, apparently, allowed to attend some of the trials, such as Rita Skeeter (on Ludo Bagman's trial) and Mrs. Crouch (on her son's trial).

Most notably, this Council, at the time led by Bartemius Crouch Sr., Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, was responsible for the deliberation on the Death Eater trials in the early 1980s, shorty after the end of the First Wizarding War.

Known accused

 * Igor Karkaroff - Released from Azkaban after presenting information leading to the capture of Death Eater Augustus Rookwood.
 * Ludovic Bagman - Cleared of all charges.
 * Barty Crouch Jr. - Sentenced to life imprisonment in Azkaban.
 * Rabastan Lestrange - Sentenced to life imprisonment in Azkaban.
 * Rodolphus Lestrange - Sentenced to life imprisonment in Azkaban.
 * Bellatrix Lestrange - Sentenced to life imprisonment in Azkaban.

Known members

 * Bartemius Crouch Sr.
 * Albus Dumbledore
 * Alastor Moody
 * Female juror
 * Male member
 * Clerk

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)