Wizengamot

Wizengamot
Organisation information
Leader(s)	Chief Warlock: Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot in 1544 Ulick Gamp (?-1707) Albus Dumbledore (?-July 1995, June 2010]]) Isaac Lahey (June 2010-current)
Headquarters	Level 2, Ministry of Magic
Intentions	Legislative and Judicial branch of wizarding Britain
Affiliation	Ministry of Magic Department of Magical Law Enforcement
Enemies	Lord Voldemort Death Eaters Order of the Elementals (Voldemort's reign) Dark Wizards and Witches

"The high Wizard court of law, held in a dungeon; the accused is magically bound to a chair in the centre of the room. A jury sits on the right of the prosecutor who states the case against the accused and eventually asks for a verdict. The courtrooms are located on the tenth level of the Ministry of Magic; during the Voldemort years, prisoners are escorted and guarded by groups of Dementors. The members of the Wizengamot, of which there are about fifty, wear plum-covered robes with elaborate silver initials on them (the letter 'W')."

—Description of the Wizengamot

The Wizengamot is wizarding Britain's high court of law and parliament. It predates the Ministry of Magic itself, dating back to the days of the medieval Wizards' Council. Its administrative headquarters are located in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement of the Ministry of Magic, whilst the trials take place in the dungeons of the lower levels.

While court is in session, members wear plum-coloured robes embroidered with a silver letter W.

History

The Wizengamot predates the Ministry of Magic. It has been in activity since, at least, 1544.

In 1707, when the Ministry of Magic was established, the Wizengamot was incorporated into the newly-created Department of Magical Law Enforcement. The first Minister for Magic, Ulick Gamp, had previously been Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot.

Albus Dumbledore held the position of Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot in the 20th century, except during the period of July 1995 to June 1996, in which he was removed from the post because of his insistence that Lord Voldemort had returned. He was reinstated when the Ministry was forced to acknowledge Voldemort's return, specifically when he appeared in person at the Ministry of Magic in 1996.

In the same period, two of the Wizengamot's oldest members, Griselda Marchbanks and Tiberius Ogden, resigned from the court in protest after Fudge created the position of Hogwarts High Inquisitor to usurp control of Hogwarts from Dumbledore and were subsequently discredited alongside him; it is unknown if they were reinstated afterwards.

Functionality

Nowadays the Wizengamot functions as a combination of court and parliament.

It is made up of around fifty members. The process for selecting members is unclear, though the Minister for Magic appears to have some power over the final selection. Aside from the judges and the Head Warlock, there is a Court Scribe that records the proceedings while the Wizengamot is in session. The Minister for Magic, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister, and Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement have been known to attend significant trials and hearings, but it is unknown if this is routine. A British Youth Representative, who shall be no more than 17 years old, is present at times as well. An incorrect answer on the W.O.M.B.A.T test was that the average age of a Wizengamot member was 87 years old, this is presumably not true.

Given that the Wizengamot was presided over by the Minister for Magic in the 1995 trial of Harry Potter, the period in which Albus Dumbledore had lost this title of Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, it is unclear whether the Minister always heads the Wizengamot, or if he took on the role of Chief Warlock himself. It is also possible that the Chief Warlock acts as an impartial executive figure, much like the Queen does over the British and Commonwealth Parliaments.

Trials

Trials appear to be brief and concise. The accused may present witnesses to be questioned by the Wizengamot. A third-party with legal knowledge may speak on behalf of a defendant, fulfilling a similar role to that of a modern barrister. However, no wizarding lawyers seem to exist, and the practise of having a spokesperson on behalf of a defendant appears to be rare.

Known members of the Wizengamot

Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot in 1544

Ulick Gamp † (Former leader)

Amelia Bones †

Bartemius Crouch Snr †

Elphias Doge

Albus Dumbledore † (Former leader)

Cornelius Fudge

Dolores Umbridge (Stripped of office)

Brunhilde Stokke

Ernest Hawkworth

Quinn Fabray

Isaac Lahey (Leader)

Patrick Dunbar

Etymology

The word "Wizengamot" is a portmanteau formed with the words "wizard" and "Witenagemot." The Witenagemot was a council of powerful nobles who convened to advise and appoint kings in Anglo-Saxon England. The word derives from the Old English for "meeting of wise men" - witan, meaning "wise man" or "counsellor", and gemot, meaning "assembly". So it can be said that "Wizengamot" means "assembly of wizards".