c1000-1066 Law Enforcement in Anglo Saxon England

• Key beliefs in circa 1000 Anglo-Saxon law enforcement:

  • Community plays a vital role in policing behavior
  • God is the final judge of guilt or innocence
  • Status and position of different groups should be clear in the law
• In Anglo-Saxon law enforcement from circa 1000 to 1066, the Saxons believed it was the victim's responsibility to seek justice, with the community also involved in delivering justice
• By the 10th century, English shires were divided into smaller administrative areas called hundreds, each hundred further divided into ten tithings, with one tithing being a group of 10 households
• In Anglo-Saxon law enforcement, men in a tithing are responsible for the behavior of all other men in their tithing, and one man from each hundred and one from each tithing meet regularly with the king's shire wreath sheriff to prevent crime, especially cattle theft
• The community as a whole is responsible for tracking down suspects of crimes, with anyone who witnesses a crime expected to raise a hue and cry for help, prompting everyone who hears to assist in capturing the suspect
• In Anglo-Saxon justice, oaths are crucial for proving innocence, with hearings held in public where the accused can swear their innocence under oath and call upon other community members as oath helpers
• If there isn't enough evidence to prove guilt, the church steps in, and the accused may undergo a trial by ordeal, such as trial by hot water, cold water, or hot iron, where the outcome is seen as a judgment by God
• Christian influence on Anglo-Saxon punishments includes maiming for crimes like petty theft, believed to offer the criminal a chance to seek forgiveness from God