Wizengamot

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The Wizengamot is a fictional body of wizards in the Harry Potter series of books and the wizard high court of law, presumably the wizarding version of the High Court of Justice. It is headquartered at the Ministry of Magic and at least some of its trials take place in the dungeons of the lower levels. Wizengamot is pronounced [[[Template:IPA]]] in the audio CDs.

The Wizengamot has about fifty members, including Elders, who are the senior and respected witches and wizards of the country, and the Court Scribe, who acts as its stenographer. The Minister for Magic, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister, and Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement also sit on the Wizengamot ex officio. Members wear plum-coloured robes embroidered with the silver letter "W" while the court is in session.

Trials seem to be quite short. The defence can present witnesses and the Wizengamot can examine them and the accused, but no lawyers are involved.

The word 'wizengamot' bears a striking resemblance to 'Witenagemot', which was a council of powerful people summoned to advice and appoint Kings in Anglo-Saxon England. The word derives from the Old English for "meeting of wise men" (witan, wise man or counsellor; gemot, assembly).

In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the Wizengamot tries Harry on charges of violating the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery and reluctantly dismisses the charges. References to "the whole Wizengamot" (in Percy's letter to Ron) imply that this type of trial is unusual. Smaller disciplinary hearings do not require the court's attention at all and are dealt with by a single questioner.

Albus Dumbledore holds the position of Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, except during the period coinciding with Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in which he was removed from the post because of his insistence that Lord Voldemort had returned (he was reinstated by the end of the novel).