The impact of witchcraft on legal procedures Flashcards
What was the accusatorial system replaced by?
Inquisitorial system
What happened to the level of proof needed for a crime to go to court?
Decreased
How did the attitude of judges change?
They began feeling very uneasy about witchcraft
What was there a growing concern about?
The use of torture
What German Jesuit condemned the use of torture in what scrip?
Freidrich Spee von Langenfeld, Cautio Criminalis
What did judges doubt the validity of?
Spectral evidence
What caused concern about the testimony of witches?
The testimony of children, criminals and relatives was not allowed
What were free confessions seen as?
A sign of mental illness
When did France decriminalise witchcraft?
1682
When did England and Scotland decriminalise witchcraft?
1736
Why did the decriminalisation of witchcraft have little effect on prosecutions?
Legislation was often repealed decades after the trials
