Slide 4: Development of Law, Crime, and Custom

Question 1

Question: How did the legal system in early English law function?

Answer 1

Answer: The legal system was decentralized, with families and tithings handling many matters. Courts primarily dealt with religious or moral issues, and crimes were often compensated through restitution to victims or their families.

Question 2

Question: What role did judges play in developing early law?

Answer 2

Answer: Judges traveled on circuits, making decisions based on past cases (stare decisis), sharing sentencing guidelines, and developing an oral tradition of law.