-
1000
Trial by Ordeal
If jury couldn't decide, it would be God who decides if they are guilty or not.
1. Trial by hot water (grab object from boiling water)
2. Trial by hot iron (hold red hot iron for 3 paces)
Then they wait 3 days, if hand heals well then innocent
3. Trial by cold water (tied to chair and thrown in water)
sink = innocent -
Period: 1000 to 1500
Middle Ages / Medieval period
-
Period: 1000 to 1066
Wergild
Compensation payed to a victim's of crime or their family
The amount was based on the status of the victim.
The Wergild was abolished by William I and the fines were payed directly to the king
Killing a noble man was 300 shillings -
1066
William is crowned king
-
1066
Trial by combat
introduced by normans -
1069
Harrying of the North
-
1070
Murdrum Fine introduced
If a Norman was murdered, all the people of that region had to pay and expensive fine -
Period: 1072 to 1217
Forest Laws
Poaching was illegal
however, it was seen as a social crime -
1194
Coroners Introduced
They investigated suspicious deaths -
1215
Trial by Ordeal is Banned by Pope
-
1219
Trial by Ordeal actually stops
-
1327
Justices of the Peace appointed for all areas
-
1361
Justices of the Peace Act
JP's could give justice in minor cases
JP's came together 4 times a year at 'quarter sessions' to discuss the most serious cases -
1400
End of Tithings - 1400's
-
1494
Vagabonds and Beggars Act
Stated vagabonds should be put in the stocks for 3 days -
Period: 1500 to
Early Modern Period
-
1520
Sanctuary abolished
Criminals on the run could claim sanctuary at a church and stay there for 40 days before being required to either face trial or being forced to leave the country carrying a wooden cross. -
1534
Henry VIII declares himself head of the Church of England
-
1542
Witchcraft Act
Witchcraft became punishable by death -
1547
Vagrancy Act
vagabonds could be enslaved for 2 years -
1559
Act of Uniformity
Made attending church compulsory -
Houses of Correction set up in each county
Aimed to reform instead of deter -
Poor Law
Each parish had to collect taxes to support people who could not work -
King James I Crowned
-
Gunpowder Plot
By Robert Catesby
Plan to blow up king who was going to be in house of parliment -
Period: to
Transportation to America
Ended because of the American Revolution 1776 -
Church Courts abolished
-
Period: to
Civil War
Disputes about Religion and the King's power -
Matthew Hopkins witch hunts 1645-47
Operated in East Anglia
Tortured suspects by making them stand up or stay awake. -
King Charles I is beheaded
He was convicted of treason -
Law lists 50 capital crimes
-
Period: to
Bloody Code
Was ineffective as people were less likely to find criminals guilty as they thought the punishment was too harsh, this increased criminal's confidence in commiting crime -
Period: to
Industrial Period
-
Waltham Black Act
Poaching becomes a capital crime -
Fielding Brothers set up the Bow Street Runners
Sought to deter by increased likely hood of detection
Collected and shared evidence -
John Howards "State of Prisons" report
Empasises on rehabilitation
Talks about corruption in prisons
Talks about conditions in prisons -
Period: to
Transportation to Australia
9 month journey
Usually 7 or 14 year sentences
Used as a more humane alternative to death
Around 160,000 people were transported in total -
law lists 222 capital crimes
-
Elizabeth Fry visits Newgate Prison
Horrified at conditions in prisons -
Waltham Black Act is Repealed
-
Gaols Act
Stated prisons should be more secure
Prison wardens should be payed
Female and male prisoners should be kept seperate
Attempts should be made to reform prisoners -
Robert Peel sets up Metropolitan Police
-
Punishment of Death Act
Reduces capital crimes to 60 -
Tolpuddle Martyrs are transported
-
Seperate System
The Prison Act of 1839 preferred the new prisons to adopt the seperate system.
Pentoville prison was the first to be built with the seperate system in mind -
Pentoville prison opens
-
First Detectives
-
Silent System
After the 1865 prison act, prisons began to use the silent system where prisoners were forced to be silent otherwise they would face harsh punishments. -
The first National Crime Records was set up
-
Prisons Act
This brought all prisons under government control -
Criminal Investigation Department (CID) formation
This was the start of the police investigating crime and not just preventing it. -
Jack the Ripper murders
-
Period: to
Modern Period
-
Borstals introduced for young offenders
for 16-21 year olds
seperated youth criminals from hardened criminals -
Hard labour in prisons ended
Crank/treadmill ended -
Police bicycles
-
Period: to
World War 1
-
Conscription introduced
Males between 18 and 41 had to go to war -
Police cars
Introduced in the 1920's/30s -
End of silent and seperate system
-
Two-way radios introduced - 1930s
-
Execution of under 18's ends
-
Open prisons
e.g. Wakefield prison
Aimed to prepare prisoners for a normal life after prison. -
Period: to
World War 2
-
Execution of Derek Bentley
-
Death Penalty supended for 5 years
-
Sexual Offences Act
Homosexuality is no longer a crime -
Death Penalty abolished
-
Domestic Violence Act
Domestic violence becomes a crime -
Police National Computer
-
Neighbourhood Watch
-
Racial and Religious Hatred Act
Racial abuse becomes a crime