Justice_Systems

Ryan Coleman Mr.Delillo Social Studies 4 April 2, 2008 Justice Systems A justice system is a set or arrangement of laws ensuring the rightfulness of the citizens. In order to protect the rights of the citizens many civilizations have created different laws and justice systems. Justice systems were used in early civilizations as well as today to keep people well behaved and to ensure there rights. Two examples of justice systems are the Twelve Tables of Rome, and the Justice Systems in Medieval Europe. The twelve tables were laws and justice systems in Ancient Rome. These laws in Ancient Rome were very similar to today’s laws. These laws were engraved on 12 bronze tablets that were placed in the forum. They explained what was legal and illegal so ignorance of law is no excuse. One law of the twelve tables is, no one shall deprive a person of civil rights without a trial. This law means that a citizen will not be kept from their rights until they are proven guilty by trial. Another law of the twelve tables is, any judge who is convicted of taking a bribe for a decision shall suffer the death penalty. This allowed fair trial in court. The twelve tables protected the rights of the citizens living in ancient Rome in many ways. Theses laws were set up for there to be a fair justice system. Some ways the laws protected the citizens was that everyone had the right to a fair trial. This is because of the law that stated if a judge is bribed he will face the death penalty. Also citizen’s rights could not be taken from him/her until proven guilty by trial. Another law was that, no man whatsoever to be put to death without a trial is forbidden. This is another example of how the laws are in favor of the citizens. This law helped to save many innocent people being accused of crime. These laws protected and kept things under control in ancient Rome. In Medieval Europe they had the Justice Systems. This system of law consisted of many ways to prove innocence, such as trial by ordeal, trial by duel, or trial by water. Trial by ordeal is a style of proving innocent or guilt by overcoming an ordeal. The most common ordeals used were finding a pebble in boiling water, holding a red-hot iron bar, and walking through a tunnel of fire. Trial by duel is another way of proving innocent or guilty. The accuser and the accused would battle it out and the loser lost his/her cause. The last common way to prove innocence or guilt was by the trial of water. The trial of water is when the person being accused of a crime jumps into water. If he/she floats she is guilty, but if he/she sinks they are innocent. These trials were used when a citizen committed a crime and there innocence or guilt was not determined by witnesses and evidence. Depending on a persons success during the course of these trials he/she would be declared innocent or guilty. The Justice systems in Medieval Europe mostly did not protect the citizens, but in some ways they did. This system of law was very harsh. They put citizens that were both innocent and guilty through many trials to prove there innocence or guilt. These trials were in humane. For example placing a hand in boiling water in search of a stone is very painful and will burn the skin and flesh right off of a person. Mostly all of the trials used were pretty much impossible to accomplish without showing sign of pain, in which was looked for to prove guilty. This system of law only protected the citizens in one way. This was by scaring all of the citizens reducing the rate of crime and wrong doing. The Twelve Tables of Rome, and the Justice Systems of Medieval Europe are two examples of justice systems and law. In order to protect the rights of the citizens many civilizations created different laws and justice systems. A justice system is a set or arrangement of laws ensuring the rightfulness of the citizens. Laws and justice systems such as the twelve tables in Rome and the justice systems in Medieval Europe are only two of the many civilizations that have laws and justice systems. These laws and justice systems help to protect a citizen and his rights, also bad laws and justice systems can take away citizens rights.