Why did Sir Edward Coke refuse King James I’s appointment to the Court of High Commission?

Sir Edward Coke refused King James I’s appointment to the Court of High Commission in 1611 due to his staunch defense of the common law and his opposition to the court's practices.1

Coke’s refusal was rooted in a broader jurisdictional conflict between the common-law courts and ecclesiastical courts. Specifically, he challenged the authority of the Court of High Commission to imprison individuals for adultery, arguing that such power exceeded the court's legal reach. As a champion of the supremacy of common law, Coke consistently resisted attempts by the crown to expand its royal prerogative at the expense of established legal principles. His stance reflected the traditional hostility held by common-law judges toward the prerogative courts, which were often viewed as instruments of repression.12