Law & Order in the Medieval Era (WJEC Eduqas GCSE History): Revision Note

How did the structure and beliefs of Anglo-Saxon and Norman society influence law and order in medieval England? - Summary 

Anglo-Saxon England was a deeply religious and tightly structured society. The king sat at the top of the social hierarchy and was responsible for keeping “the King’s Peace” across the land. Most people lived in small villages or hamlets where everyone knew one another. This created a strong sense of community responsibility as people were expected to prevent and report crime, as well as to help enforce justice through systems such as the tithing and hue and cry.

Religion also shaped law and order. The Church played a vital role in guiding moral behaviour, offering spiritual justice through church courts and influencing attitudes to punishment and forgiveness. After 1066, the Normans strengthened royal authority while keeping many Anglo-Saxon traditions. Local courts, manorial courts, and church courts worked together to maintain order, showing how both community and faith were at the heart of medieval justice.

Communal & Family Responsibility

• In the Medieval era, policing was mainly carried out by the community 

• Men were grouped into tens known as tithings 

  • If one of them broke the law, the others brought him to court 

• The ‘hue and cry’ was a system used to capture criminals 

  • If a victim raised the ‘hue and cry’, it was everyone's responsibility to catch the criminal 

  • If the criminal were not found, the local sheriff or agent of the king would track them down using their posse  

• Chief constables were appointed to supervise law and order in their areas 

• A system of courts was created to control the country by the Anglo-Saxon kings

  • Royal courts 

    • The king would decide the outcome of the cases

  • Shire courts 

    • The local lords would decide the outcome of the cases

  • Hundred courts 

    • Dealt with cases brought forward by the tithings and less serious crimes

The Role of the Manorial, Church & Royal Courts

• By the late medieval period, there were several court systems 

  • This was the result of the king, lords, and the Church attempting to control crime 

• Manor courts 

  • Replaced local courts 

  • Dealt with petty crimes in the local area 

    • Including land disputes and theft 

  • The local lord ran the manor court 

  • By 1500, manor courts were being replaced by Justices of the Peace (JPs) 

• Borough courts 

  • In towns, but they were the same as manor courts 

  • Controlled by freemen 

• Church courts 

  • For clergy who broke laws or committed moral offences 

    • Such as drunkenness or adultery 

  • A local bishop would be responsible for these courts 

  • If someone claimed sanctuary, a member of the clergy would pass judgment 

• Royal courts 

  • Heard the most serious crimes, such as murder 

  • Juries were from the same area as the criminal 

  • In 1293, King Edward I ordered royal judges to visit each county two or three times a year to try cases of serious crimes in that area

    • This ended in 1971