The Spanish Inquisition has become such a byword for injustice that
many forget it was also a judicial system capable of acquittal. This
study of more than 67,000 trials uncovers over 2,500 formal
acquittals, more than 6,600 suspended trials, and nearly 2,100 with
unknown or no recorded outcomes. The inquisitors were jurists who
frequently held other judgeships before and after their tenure and
used the same evidentiary rules as other Spanish courts. If every
acquittal may be taken as an admission of error, the Spanish
Inquisition admitted its errors thousands of times, occasionally even
putting them on public display at the autos de fe. An acquittal can
also be taken as a sign that the inquisitors did not wish to punish
the innocent and that while they were quick to arrest and charge
people on flimsy evidence, they were too conscientious to convict them
without further proof. However, it is also clear that the Holy Office
at times did bend, twist, or even break the law when it suited it in
order to secure a conviction. This book is aimed at students,
scholars, and general readers seeking a nuanced understanding of the
Spanish Inquisition and its workings.
Les mer
Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9781040182802
Publisert
2024
Utgave
1. utgave
Utgiver
Taylor & Francis
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter