Case Studies Flashcards
(41 cards)
1
Q
MEDIEVAL PERIOD
What was the church influence in medieval period?
CHURCH
A
- Wanted aim of punishment to involve reforming the criminal
2
Q
MEDIEVAL PERIOD
What was sanctuary?
CHURCH
A
- Protection from the law, offered by some important churches only
- Priest would report the crime but no one was allowed to arrest the accused
- Accused could either: agree to go to court or swear an oath agreeing to leave the country
- After 40 days if they hadn’t left the country, they would be outlawed
CHURCH
3
Q
MEDIEVAL
When did sanctuary end?
CHURCH
A
- 1536
- Under Henry reign’s
4
Q
MEDIEVAL PERIOD
What were church courts?
CHURCH
A
- Introduced in norman england
- All churchmen who were accused of a crime were tried in a Church court, which was overseen by a local bishop
- Heard a range of moral crimes(failure to attend church, drunkenness and adultery)
- Punishments were not as harsh as those given by a Royal court - wanted to give the criminal a chance to reform
- No sentence to death
CHURCH
5
Q
MEDIEVAL PERIOD
What kind of punishments did church courts give?
CHURCH
A
- Forced pilgrimage, confession and apology at Mass as punishments
6
Q
MEDIEVAL PERIOD
What was Benefit of the clergy?
CHURCH
A
- Proved their right by reading a verse from Psalm 21 in the Bible
- In medieval England it was only priests and churchmen who could read
7
Q
MEDIEVAL PERIOD
Why was benefit of the clergy hindering justice?
CHURCH
A
- Non-churchmen were able to get around this by learning a verse from the Bible, which they would recite.
- This became known as the ‘neck verse’ because it often saved people
8
Q
MEDIEVAL PERIOD
What was Trial by Ordeal?
CHURCH
A
- Started in anglo saxon england
- Where the court could not decide a person’s guilt or innocence
9
Q
MEDIEVAL PERIOD
What were the three trials for trial by ordeal?
CHURCH
A
- trial by hot water or iron(if burn healed the person was innocent)
- trial by water(if the person sank they were innocent)
- trial by consecrated bread(for priests, if they choked they were guilty)
10
Q
MEDIEVAL PERIOD
When and why did trial by ordeal and combat end?
CHURCH
A
- Ended in 1215 by the Pope as he didn’t agree with it and was legally unreliable
- Start of trial by jury
11
Q
EARLY MODERN
When did the Gunpowder plot take place?
GUNPOWDER PLOT
A
1605
12
Q
EARLY MODERN
Why did Catholics hope for more freedom to practice their faith?
GUNPOWDER PLOT
A
- Catholics hoped for more freedom to practice their faith because James I’s mum Mary I was a catholic
13
Q
EARLY MODERN
What happened in the Gunpowder Plot?(4)
GUNPOWDER PLOT
A
- Group of catholics led by Robert Catesby plotted to kill the king
- On 5th Nov 1605
- Guy Fawkes: arrested and after torture gave the names of conspirators
- Plotters were tired and found guilty of treason: publicly hanged, drawn and quartered in January 1606
14
Q
EARLY MODERN
What were the four reasons for harsh and public punishment for treason?
GUNPOWDER PLOT
A
- Treason was the most serious crime, received the most serious punishment
- Harsh punishment was thought to be only way of deterring crime as there was no police force
- Political instability - required harsh punishment as a form of deterrent
- Harsh message to deter catholics from rising up against the Protestant monarchy
15
Q
EARLY MODERN
What were witch-hunts?
MATTHEW HOPKINS
A
- People actively tried to discover witches
- During Civil war(1642-51) a period of great upheaval
- Convicted were executed, usually by hanging
- Printing press made it easier to spread Matthew Hopkins’ pamphlets
16
Q
EARLY MODERN
Why did the intensity of Witch-hunts increase? (5)
MATTHEW HOPKINS
A
- Economic problems - Civil War and poor harvests caused huge economic problems, people looked for someone to blame for hard times
- Civil War - people didn’t trust each other, weakened control of local authorities
- Religious changes - Puritans believed witchcraft was being used by Royalists, if you did anything against the church you could be accused of witchcraft
- Lack of scientific understanding - not discovered how climate could affect crops so witches were blamed
- Influence of individuals - James I promoted witch hunting in the book Daemonologie , Matthew Hopkins stirred up fear of witches
17
Q
EARLY MODERN
What did Matthew Hopkins do? (4)
MATTHEW HOPKINS
A
- Employed by a JP to find witches in Essex - witchfinder general
- His work led to around 300 people being investigated, 112 hanged
- Torture to extract confessions
- Stirred up mass panic and fear of the witches through prosecutions and pamphlets
18
Q
INDUSTRIAL
When was Pentonville Prison built?
MODEL PRISON
A
1842
19
Q
INDUSTRIAL
What was the Pentonville Prison?
MODEL PRISON
A
- Model for a new idea about how prisons should be run and prisoners treated, known as the separate system
- Walls were very thick to prevent prisoners talking to each other
- Prisoners were masked even outside to prevent communication
- Prisoners undertook monotonous and repetitive work in their cells
20
Q
INDUSTRIAL
Why was the separate system introduced?
MODEL PRISON
A
- Rehabilitation - solitude as the best way for prisoners to reflect, No influence from other criminals, turn to religion and reform their ways
- Retribution: isolation and boredom made the criminal pay for their crime
- Deterrent: serious punishment and was thought to act as a deterrent for committing crimes
21
Q
INDUSTRIAL
What were the strengths of the separate system?
MODEL PRISON
A
- Clean and there was far less disease
- Many thought it provided the right level of punishment
22
Q
INDUSTRIAL
What were the weaknesses of the separate system?
MODEL PRISON
A
- Isolation led to mental illness and high suicide rate
- No education or instruction to provide new skills for prisoners to use when they were released
23
Q
INDUSTRIAL
Who was Robert Peel?
ROBERT PEEL
A
- Home secretary during 1820s
- Ended the Bloody Code by reducing death penalty offences
- 1823 gaols act - tried to reform the prison system
24
Q
INDUSTRIAL
When did Robert Peel reduce the number of capital crimes?
ROBERT PEEL
A
- 1825
- Reduced by 100 because he wanted less harsh punishments for eptty crimes and to try to reform petty criminals, ended bloody code
25
# INDUSTRIAL
What was Robert Peel's role in prison reform?
| ROBERT PEEL
- Persuaded parliament to pass 1823 Gaols Act
26
# INDUSTRIAL
What did the 1823 Gaols Act state?
| ROBERT PEEL
- Chaplains should regularly visit prisons
- Gaolers should be paid
- Prisoners should not be put in chains
- Impact was limited as there were no inspectors
27
# INDUSTRIAL
What was Robert Peel's role in the MET police and when?
| ROBERT PEEL
- 1822 - set up parliamentary committee to look into the issue of policing in London
- Crime wave in 1826 helped Peel run this act throguh parliament
28
# INDUSTRIAL
What was the MET Police 1829?
| ROBERT PEEL
- Central aim was to prevent crime and disorder
- Had uniform
- Usually unarmed and were trained to use minimum physical force
- Focused on patrolling areas where crime was high
- Not popular at first, but recognised by the public as being honest and trustworthy
29
# MODERN
What were conscientious objectors?
| CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS
People who have religious, moral or political objections to war, became a crime to be one for a short time in the 20th century
30
# MODERN
What was conscription?
| CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS
- States that everyone who is asked to, healthy and fit has to fight in the armed forces
- If you refused you would be committing a crime
- Introduced in both WW1 and WW2
31
# MODERN
What were the attitudes to conscientious objectors?
| CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS
- Punishment and treatment was very different in the two world wars showing how people in authority changed their attitude
- However most people felt they and their families were making great sacrifices and others should too
32
# MODERN
What was their treatment in WW1?(6)
| CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS
- Conscription for men from 1916
- 16000 men refused to fight
- Only 400 were given total exemption
- ‘Alternativitists’ were given non-combatant roles
- ‘Absolutists’ were imprisoned, given brutal treatment and hard labour
- Ten died in prison, 63 died after release and 31 had breakdowns
33
# MODERN
What was their treatment in WW2? (5)
| CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS
- Conscription for men from 1939, women from 1941
- 59000 men and women refused to fight
- All except 12000 were given complete or partial exemption
- Partial exemption - non-combatant roles
- Small percentage of those not given exemption were sent to prison but they weren’t treated as harshly
34
# MODERN
What was their treament by the general public during both wars?
| CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS
- They thought of constientious objectors as cowards and traitors
- some were shotued at in the streets and physically abused
- Found it hard to find work and some were dismissed from work
35
# MODERN
What was their treatment by the general public during WW1?
| CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS
- The Order of the White Feather Organisation set up
- Encouraged women to hand otu white feathers - symbolise cowardice to young men that weren't in military uniforms
36
# MODERN
What was the treatment by the general public in WW2?
| CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS
- DUring WW2 the press was less harsh and there were fewer organised campaigns against COS
37
# MODERN
What was the case of Derek Bentley?
| DEREK BENTLEY
- Aged 19, he had a learning disability and mental age of 10
- Decided to burgle a warehouse with his friend Christopher aged 16
-Christopher shot a police officer but was only sent to prison in the long term because he was under 18
- Bentley was sentenced to death by hanging
38
# MODERN
What was public and parliamentary opinion on this case?
| DEREK BENTLEY
- Huge public outcry against the sentence
- Motion in parliament to reprieve Bentley was supported by 200 MPs but it was never debated in parliament, Home secretary chose not to reprieve
- Media coverage was sympathetic to Bentley
39
# MODERN
When was Derek Bentley pardoned?
| DEREK BENTLEY
- 1993
- 1998 - his conviction for murder was overturned
40
# MODERN
What was the significance of Derek Bentley's case?
| DEREK BENTLEY
- Highlighted the differences in punishment for murder as some were hanged and others were given prison sentences
41
# MODERN
What else did Derek Bentley's case show?
| DEREK BENTLEY
- System of the Home Secretary reprieving murderers from hanging was a lottery
- Increased the number of people who were critical of the death penalty as a fair punishment
