crime and punishment - medieval and norman

• the forest laws


  . about 30% of England became 'royal forest'

  . village communities were evicted from this land causing uproar

  . only those who payed for hunting rights were allowed to hunt in royal forest

  . it became illegal to graze animals , kill wildlife or take wood without license

  . these laws were seen as unfair so were broken often and these people were not seen as criminals in society
• Norman law enforcement

  continuity : the system of tithings , the hue and cry and courts stayed the same

  change : the normans introduced trial by combat where two people would fight until one was killed . Another change was 'foresters' who policed the forest laws
• Parish constables


  . People nominated by the local community

  . It was an unpaid position

  . They held the position for a year
• Role of goverment-appointed officials

  . knights were appointed by Richard I

  . following the justices of peace act (1361) , JPs had the power to hear all minor crimes in small courts 4 times a year

  . the role of the sheriff expanded , he was now expected to track down criminals if the hue and cry was unsuccessful
• Types of Punishment

  . fines

  . stocks (humiliation)

  . maiming and flogging (corporal)

  . hanging and beheading (capital)
• Norman Punishments

  . use of capital and corporal punishment rose dramatically

  . breaking forest laws was punished very harshly ( castration , hanging and blinding)

  . the wergild was ended and all compensation was payed to the king (murdrum)
• benefit of the clergy


  if someone had committed a crime but could prove they had a connection to the church , they could claim benefit of the clergy and avoid the King's court while being trialled in the lenient church court .

  people proved their right to benefit of the clergy by reading a passage from the bible
• sanctuary

  . protection from the law was offered by some churches only

  . the priest could report the crime but the accused could not be arrested

  . they could either agree to go to court or swear an oath to leave the country

  . they had 40 days to leave