Medieval Law

Ideas for Today

• What similarities/differences can we see between the Canadian law system and Medieval law?

• How were people tried back then? How were they determined innocent?

• Have we adapted anything from Medieval times?

Brainstorm• How do you think our

Canadian justice system is similar or different than the medieval justice system?

Jury

lawyers Prison/community

service

Supreme

Provincial

FederalInnocent until proven guilty

Oath

No death penalty

Canadian Law

The CourtsManor Courts Royal courts Church Courts-Villagers dictated who won the case-Punished petty crimes/criminals-Serf’s could sue-Many disputes settled were to do with farming and property-Sentences were usually a fine-Assault, drunkenness, and theft charges

-They used common law because it was the same for the whole kingdom-Serious crimes: murder, treason, rape, burglary-A major crime was cutting down wood from the royal forest-Only court to use death penalty

-Judged Bishops, Deacons, Priests, Clerks, Monks, Nuns-Could not use the death penalty-A literacy test was used to prove a person worked for the Church-Normally gave lighter sentence

What are these pictures representing?

Is a Person Innocent?

Trial By Ordeal• Several varieties to see if a

person was innocent• Swallow poison• Pull an object from burning

hot oil• Walk over 9 red hot ploughs • Carry a piece of red hot iron

for a certain distance• If the burn was infected-the

person is guilty

Trial By Battle

• Two nobles would fight • Often it was a fight to

the death• Only noblemen had a

right to trial by battle• If a noble woman was

prosecuted, she would choose a nobleman to fight on her behalf.

A person that lived through or was not injured in the trial was innocent because...

GOD PROTECTED THEM!

• God would help innocent people• Expose people to danger to see if

God will protect them

Venn diagram

• Are the beliefs similar/different?• How are people tried?• Structure-courts? Are they the same?

Different?• Punishments?• Include as much information as you can!

Learning Logs• Question to think about: Have we adapted

anything from the Medieval law system?• If you do not finish you learning log take it for

homework.• Homework: Eleanor of Aquitaine pg 66, King

John pg 67• REMEMBER TEST ON FRIDAY! Review class will

be Wednesday and you will get a handout on the key topics and terms.

Medieval Court System- Manor, Royal and Church- Trial by ordeal and battle- Trial by compurgators- Guilty until proven innocent- Proven innocent by God- Social hierarchy played key role- Death penalty

Canadian Court System - Innocent until proven guilty - Supreme, federal and provincial

- overlapping case subjects between courts

- Judge -Representation/Lawyers - Prison/ community service

sentences - evidence

-trial by jury-Multiple courts-Swear oath on bible-Protects society- MAGNA

CARTA