1500-1700

• social changes to crime, punishment and law enforcement 1500-1700


  population growth: population increased, hard for people to find work

  economic changes: England becoming wealthier, majority poor

  printing: printing press led 2 more books & pamphlets

  Religion: religious changes made by Henry > division between catholics & protestant,increased belief in supernatural

  political change: english civil war saw King Charles executed & replaced by an MP > led 2 insecurity

  attitudes: landowners became richer& wanted to protect wealth > keep poor in place, led to harsher punishments on minor crime
• Law enforcemnt- continuity


  • Hue and cry
  • Posse: track down criminal
  • parish constables
  • trial by jury
  • benefit of clergy
• law enforcement change 1500-1700


  • Town watchmen: people paid to patrol streets all day, poorly paid. Sergants employed to enforce market regulation and collect fines
  • Citizens: victims expected to deal w it themself. get an arrest warrant from magistrate, track them down & deliver to magistrate
  • Justice of peace: became more important during tudor period > job given to landowners to arrest and punish
  • Habeas corpus: prevented authorites from imprisoning people w/o charging w crime and given a fair trial
  • Rewards: offered to encourage citizens to assist in solving crimes