Crimes and Punishment in Britain

Customary Law

Legal system in pre-Norman Conquest England based on local customs and traditions, administered by local lords or manorial courts.

Common Law

Legal system post-Norman Conquest in England, unified legal practices based on judicial decisions and precedents set by judges in royal courts.

Corporal Punishment

Physical penalties like whipping, branding, mutilation, or public humiliation used as punishment in medieval times.

Centralization of Justice

Tudor monarchs' efforts to strengthen royal authority and centralize justice, including the establishment of the Court of Star Chamber.

Public Executions

Spectacles used to deter crime, involving methods like hanging, drawing, quartering, and burning at the stake.

Urbanization

Rapid growth of cities during the Industrial Revolution leading to social problems and increased crime rates.

Imprisonment

Punishment method gaining prominence in the 18th and 19th centuries, focusing on reform through isolation, labor, and religious instruction.

Abolition of Capital Punishment

Elimination of capital punishment for murder in Great Britain in 1965, following restrictions set by the Homicide Act of 1957.

Fines and Compensation

This is use as a form of restitution, or a payment for the losses of the victims.

Capital Punishment

Serious penalties that can result to execution.

Statutory Law

Parliament passed statutes that defined specific crimes and their punishments, such as the Witchcraft Acts of 1524 and 1604, which made witchcraft a capital offense.

Transportation

Convicts were transported to penal colonies like Australia and America as an alternative to execution or imprisonment in England.

Police forces

This was first established by The Metropolitan Police Act of 1829 under Sir Robert Peel.

Prison Reform

Figures like John Howard campaigned for better prison conditions and rehabilitation programs.

End of Transportation

This was ceased in the mid-19th century, replaced by increased use of prisons for long-term sentences.

Human Rights Legislation

Incorporated the European Convention on Human Rights into UK law, influencing legal standards and protections for individuals.

Modern Prison System

It focus on rehabilitation through education, vocational training, and psychological support. Community sentences and probation aim to reintegrate offenders into society while reducing incarceration rates.

Crime Prevention

Contemporary approaches emphasize crime prevention through community policing, early intervention programs, and addressing social determinants of crime.

Social Context

The impact of societal changes such as industrialization, urbanization, and demographic shifts on crime rates and law enforcement strategies.

Legal Evolution

From customary and common law to statutory law, and the influence of legal scholars and reformers on shaping modern legal systems.

Punishment Philosophy

Changing attitudes towards deterrence, rehabilitation, and human rights in the criminal justice system.