The Legal System

Question 1

What where the two types of punishments ?

Answer 1

Wergild
And
Capital punishment/ physical punishment

Question 2

What was Wergild?

Answer 2

-Wergild: a fine paid to the victims of crime of their families as compensation
-Level of the fine was laid down by the kings laws
-Such as for killing a noblemen one would have to pay 300 shillings
- different amounts of money for different body parts aswell like a thumb was 20 shillings as thumbs where very important for agricultural work

Question 3

What was capital punishment

Answer 3

Small number of crime could be the death penitently: treason against the king or Lord could result in death
- acted as a deterrent to others and compelled people to be loyal to the king
- stealing from the church resulted in serious punishment
- reoffenders were punished harshly including mutilation and prisons where rarely used

Question 4

What was policing like in Anglo Saxon times?

Answer 4

They didn’t have a police force
The Angkor saxons created a self help system known as tithing

Question 5

What was a tithing and how did it work?

Answer 5

It was a group of ten men
Every man over twenty had to join one
If one did wrong the others either brought him to court or payed a fine

Question 6

What was a victim supposed to do if a crime was committed?

Answer 6

Raise a ‘hue and cry’
Every member of the village was then expected to drop their tools and try to catch the criminal
If a person did not join in they would pay a hefty fine

Question 7

What where the two types of trails in Anglo Saxon times?

Answer 7

Trail by jury
And
Trail by ordeal in a church

Question 8

What was trail by jury?

Answer 8

-Jury consisted of men who knew both the accused and accuser
-They both gave their versions of events and the jury decided who was telling the truth
-if there was no clear evidence the jury made their decision based on the knowledge of people involved

Question 9

What was trial by ordeal?

Answer 9

If the jury of shires and hundreds could not decide this would happen
-it shows the importance of religion as god becomes the judge
-the accused had to fast for three days
-different types of trails one being by hot water
- trial by hot water (plunging hand into boiling water and grabbing something out)
- if the wound healed cleanly it was a sign they where innocent and if not they where guilty