The Grand Tribunal was a student-led mock court, composed of junior and senior students, with the purpose of enforcing the behavior of underclassmen. While the true origins of the Grand Tribunal have been lost to history, this tradition of first-year hazing dates back to at least the 1850s.

The Grand Tribunal's official seal

The court was led by a Grand High Chancellor, who presided over the sessions. Sophomores who were suspected to have been involved in misconduct were brought in front of the court for judgment. The validity and seriousness of the group are uncertain, considering the court sometimes went over a year without meeting. However, the court was seen as practice for the real world of law, and students involved in it held a status similar to that of a modern-day student government officer. Even faculty members were involved, acting as a type of police during court sessions.

Eventually, first-years were also brought in front of the court. In the fall of 1860, the Tribunal “sat” in Odd Fellows Hall in Hartford and each first-year student was put through a trial. Three students refused to participate and for this, they were punished. One was brought to Zion Hill Cemetery and lashed into a tombstone, while another was tied inside an old well in the city to wait out the night.

A third student, Preston D. Sill, suspected that punishment was waiting for him, so when “agents” of the Tribunal attempted to seize him while leaving Evening Prayer on October 11th, he pulled out a revolver and shot the nearest agent. Though he missed, faculty and students believed Sill had shot the agent and rushed to the scene. The city of Hartford turned Sill into a hero, but the College saw things far differently. His actions were labeled as cowardly but ultimately absolved him of any blame. Still, Sill left the College quickly, never to return.

Similar to a fraternity, the Tribunal rented living spaces in downtown Hartford. As part of the Tribunal's initiation, ceremonies would be held late at night with a coffin, human skeleton, and flames, attracting the attention of their neighbors. This concerned the College and they sought an end to the group. At this point in College history, around the 1860s, the court was no longer a useful tool for maintaining peace. The Tribunal however did not disband completely, but by the late 1870s, membership was limited to only seniors. In 1881, The Ivy listed only five members and the following year, none.

In 1886, the Grand Tribunal was revitalized, though membership remained fewer than ten students. This was the group's final attempt to survive and was not successful.

History of Trinity College (1967) by Glenn Weaver, pp. 103, 161-162, 218-219.