The inscription on the courthouse at the end, "Where law ends, tyranny begins" is attributed to British philosopher John Locke (1632-1704). In D.C. it is not on the depicted courthouse, but is on the Department of Justice Building.
The plot seems to mirror the film The Star Chamber (1983), starring Michael Douglas which in turn was based on a former English court, in which a close-door proceeding was presided by a group of individuals who pass judgment against a person without the benefit of due process.