Administration of Justice Act

Definition

The Administration of Justice Act was a series of laws passed by the British Parliament in 1774 as part of the Coercive Acts, which were intended to punish the American colonies, particularly Massachusetts, for the Boston Tea Party. The act granted the royal governor of Massachusetts greater control over the judicial system and restricted trial by jury.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The Administration of Justice Act allowed the royal governor of Massachusetts to move the trials of royal officials accused of crimes to another colony or to Great Britain, making it more difficult for them to be prosecuted.
2. The act also granted the royal governor the power to order the transfer of any court case to another county, further limiting the ability of colonists to receive a fair trial.
3. The Administration of Justice Act was seen by the American colonists as a blatant violation of their rights and liberties, as it undermined the independence of the colonial judiciary and the right to trial by jury.
4. The act was part of a broader strategy by the British government to assert greater control over the American colonies and punish them for their resistance to British authority, particularly in the aftermath of the Boston Tea Party.
5. The Administration of Justice Act, along with the other Coercive Acts, was a key factor in the growing tensions between the American colonies and Great Britain, ultimately leading to the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War.

Review Questions

• Explain how the Administration of Justice Act was a part of Britain's law-and-order strategy in the American colonies.
  • The Administration of Justice Act was a key component of Britain's law-and-order strategy in the American colonies. By granting the royal governor of Massachusetts greater control over the judicial system, the act allowed the British government to more effectively punish and prosecute colonial resistance, such as the Boston Tea Party. The act's provisions, which enabled the transfer of trials of royal officials to other colonies or Great Britain, made it more difficult for colonists to receive a fair trial, undermining the independence of the colonial judiciary. This was part of a broader effort by the British to assert greater control over the American colonies and crack down on dissent, ultimately contributing to the growing tensions that led to the American Revolutionary War.
• Analyze how the Administration of Justice Act was connected to the destruction of the tea and the Coercive Acts.
  • The Administration of Justice Act was directly connected to the destruction of the tea and the broader Coercive Acts passed by the British Parliament. The act was a punitive measure enacted in response to the Boston Tea Party, in which American colonists destroyed a shipment of British tea in protest of taxation without representation. The Administration of Justice Act, along with the other Coercive Acts, such as the Boston Port Act and the Massachusetts Government Act, was designed to punish the American colonies, particularly Massachusetts, for this act of defiance. By granting the royal governor greater control over the judicial system and restricting trial by jury, the Administration of Justice Act was a clear attempt by the British to assert their authority and crack down on colonial resistance, further exacerbating the tensions that would ultimately lead to the American Revolutionary War.
• Evaluate the long-term impact of the Administration of Justice Act on the relationship between the American colonies and Great Britain.
  • The Administration of Justice Act had a significant long-term impact on the relationship between the American colonies and Great Britain. By undermining the independence of the colonial judiciary and the right to trial by jury, the act was seen by the colonists as a blatant violation of their rights and liberties. This, in turn, further eroded the trust and goodwill between the colonies and the British government, contributing to the growing sentiment of colonial resistance and the desire for independence. The Administration of Justice Act, along with the other Coercive Acts, was a key factor in the escalating tensions that ultimately led to the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, marking a major turning point in the deterioration of the relationship between the American colonies and Great Britain. The long-term consequences of the act were profound, as it played a crucial role in the path towards the American colonies' eventual separation from the British Empire.

Related terms

Coercive Acts: A series of punitive laws passed by the British Parliament in 1774 in response to the Boston Tea Party, which included the Administration of Justice Act, the Boston Port Act, the Massachusetts Government Act, and the Quartering Act.

Boston Tea Party: A political protest by American colonists in 1773 against the British government, in which they destroyed a shipment of tea in Boston Harbor to protest taxation without representation.

Royal Governor: A governor of a colony appointed by the British Crown, who represented the monarch's authority and interests in the colony.