The Star Chamber

The Star Chamber is a 1983 American mystery thriller film written by Roderick Taylor and directed by Peter Hyams. It stars Michael Douglas and Hal Holbrook. Its title is taken from the name of the notorious 17thcentury English court.

Judge Hardin participates in one of these proceedings in which he presents the case of the two criminals. The Star Chamber declares them guilty and dispatches a hired assassin. Soon afterward, however, police detective Harry Lowes Yaphet Kotto comes to Hardin with conclusive evidence that someone else raped and killed the boy. Realizing that he and the Star Chamber have just sentenced two men to die for a crime that they did not commit, Hardin implores the Star Chamber to recall the assassin, but is told by the other judges that the hit cannot be canceled. For the judges own protection, their system includes a buffer between themselves and the assassin they do not know who he is, and he does not know who they are. They rationalize to Hardin that although an occasional mistake is inevitable and regrettable, what they are doing still serves societys greater good especially, they argue, considering that the two targeted men are clearly criminals who are guilty of numerous other crimes, even if not of the specific crime for which the group convicted them.Hardin makes it clear that he does not accept their reasoning. Caulfield warns him to back down because the group will do whatever they have to in order to protect themselves. Hardin refuses to heed this warning and says he will do whatever he can do to stop the men from being killed. He then tracks down the men in an attempt to warn them. However, when he arrives, they do not trust him, as he has stumbled across their illegal drug operation. After they attack him, Hardin is saved by the hitman, disguised as a police officer, who kills the two men before they can kill Hardin. The hitman points his gun at Hardin, but at the last moment, Lowes arrives and kills the hitman. ........

Source: Wikipedia