Law In The Middle Ages

Law In The Middle Ages

Ever wonder how life in the Middle Ages was? Whether its modes of punishment, the court system, Churches, or even medieval justice that played an important role for peasants, nobles, knights, and many more of the important people of the Middle Ages? During the middle ages there were laws people lived by and if broken they would either go to court or battle to survive. There is a variety of courts for different classes and also trials. First of all, there were two types of trials that a person faced for crimes that they committed. Trial by ordeal was when a person's innocence was tested by putting them in a dangerous position having them do a difficult test such as swallowing poison, pulling an object
Moreover, representatives of the lord, called stewards, acted as judges deciding the sentence of the court. Royal courts took care of serious crimes such as murder, treason, rape, burglary, cutting trees or even taking deadwood for fuel from royal forests. Royal courts used the "common law" which was named because it was the same as the whole kingdom. Royal courts could order the execution of murderers and thieves. After the execution of a criminal the court would take away all of his or her property. Lastly, the church was very important to life in the middle ages as well as the laws that people lived by. The church determined much of the culture of Europe, but it was a complex blend of Germanian, Christian, and Roman cultures. The church tried to bring help to the common people, making laws fairer and providing help for the poor in monasteries. In a violent society, dominated by men and warriors, the laws were rough with justice favoring the strong. Much of the barbarian law revolved around superstition and fines of either blood or money would be paid by the guilty. Although the amount would vary depending on the rank of the person