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GCSE History · key term
A court exercising the Church’s legal authority, separate from ordinary secular courts.
Used by AQA and OCR
Paper 2
Revise: The ChurchAt the Council of Winchester in 1076, Lanfranc established separate Church courts. Clergy were to be tried under Church authority rather than in ordinary secular courts. Lanfranc argued that secular courts should not exercise authority over churchmen.
Paper 1
A court under Church authority that dealt with religious and moral offences and could try clergy accused of crimes.
Revise: Enforcing law and orderThe Church had its own Church courts, also called ecclesiastical courts. These dealt with religious and moral matters, such as failing to attend church, not paying tithes and adultery. Tithes were payments owed to the Church.
Explain how a reform changed power or behaviour: replacing bishops helped secure Norman control, while separate Church courts increased the Church’s legal independence.
Distinguish the courts by their responsibilities: manor courts handled minor local matters, royal courts heard serious crimes, and Church courts dealt with moral and religious matters and accused clergy.
Benefit of clergy meant access to a Church court; sanctuary meant temporary protection from arrest. Neither simply meant being declared innocent.
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