Last modified: 25 May 2018 11:16
The period from the sixth century to the sixteenth century saw fundamental changes in European Society, including the emergence of the outlines of states and kingdoms that are recognisable today. But the period also saw fundamental changes in conflict resolution. Using a mixture of chronicle, legal, and literary evidence this course provides a comprehensive overview of a millenium of conflicts and conflict resoution in a period which saw the development of fundamental concepts and methods which still shape legal practice.
| Study Type | Undergraduate | Level | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term | First Term | Credit Points | 30 credits (15 ECTS credits) |
| Campus | Old Aberdeen | Sustained Study | No |
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During the sixth century to the fifteenth century European society saw fundamental changes. Not only did the outlines of states and kingdoms that are recognisable today emerge but the period also saw fundamental changes in legal concepts and legal performance which are still with us. Among these changes are the development of new ways in which to settle disputes and compensate for crimes and misdemenours which became necessary when the Church prohibited clerics from participating in trials by ordeal. This seemingly insignificant change removed the foundations of old ways of dispute settlements and forced the development of new practices, e.g. the introduction of the principle that the accused is innocent until proven guilty, and the development of formal rules, or procedure, to resolve disputes.
Though studies by modern scholars have focused on the developments of legal scholarship in centres of learning such as the universities of Bologna and Paris, traditions and practices which had long been a part of the legal culture of Northern Europe also helped inspire these changes, particularly in the Rhineland, England and Scandinavia. This course will examine evidence from sagas, chronicles, saints' lives, secular law codes, canon law, court cases, and treatises on procedure to illustrate and examine how and why these changes were implemented.
Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.
1st Attempt
There are no assessments for this course.
Written assessments are given CGS marks and written feedback will be communicated to students using the Department of History's cover sheets. Feedback will also be provided in scheduled individual meetings.
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