Justice and the legal system in Norman England
I can evaluate the extent to which justice and the legal system changed under the Normans.
Justice and the legal system in Norman England
I can evaluate the extent to which justice and the legal system changed under the Normans.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- The Normans made relatively few changes to the English legal system.
- Hundred courts and shire courts remained, but Normans took over as sheriffs and the role increased in power.
- Norman England had more central control over the legal system than had been the case in Anglo-Saxon England.
- The Normans introduced the murdrum fine and criminalised the use of resources from royal forests.
- Normans and Anglo-Saxons were treated differently by the justice system.
Common misconception
Trial by combat and trial by ordeal were punishments for crimes.
Trial by combat and trial by ordeal were ways of finding out who God judged as being innocent and guilty, though the ordeal was certainly punishing for both parties.
Keywords
Justice - justice is the principles behind laws, including who benefits from the legal system; a justice was also another name for a judge
Hundred court - a hundred court is a lower court that dealt with local disputes and minor criminal cases
Shire court - a shire court is a court at the shire level which dealt with more serious criminal cases and land disputes
Sheriff - a sheriff is the king’s officer at the shire level
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of serious crime
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
- Depiction or discussion of sexual violence
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Video
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