Crime and Punishment: Henry II Legal Reforms

Royal judges and courts

Henry II reorganised trials so the king's courts mattered more.

Royal judges travelled around the country and, according to the workbook, visited each county twice a year to hear the most serious crimes.

This made justice more consistent and reduced the chance that powerful local people could control serious cases for themselves.

Prisons and officials

Henry II made prisons for suspects waiting to go on trial.

Coroners investigated suspicious deaths, while justices of the peace were appointed to keep order in areas with high crime.

These officials show central government becoming more organised, because law enforcement was no longer just a matter for neighbours and local custom.

Why it matters for GCSE

Henry's reforms are a turning point because they show the king taking more responsibility for crime and punishment.

Earlier medieval justice relied heavily on local communities, such as hue and cry and juries of neighbours.

By the later Middle Ages, the king still relied on local people for information, but royal courts and royal officials had far more authority over punishment.