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The Power to Pardon in Medieval and Early Modern Christian Europe

In medieval and early modern Christian Europe, the power to exercise pardon over rigor of justice was one of the strongest manifestations of sovereignty and, as such, it was almost ubiquitous. For merciful rulers, pardoning was a means to enforce peace and assert the supremacy of their judicial auth...

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Format: Online
Language:English
Published: Brill 2025
Subjects:
Sovereignty
Mercy
Solomon
Early Modern Russia
Peasants' War of 1525
Portugal
Ancien Régime Spain
Dijon
Habsburg Low Countries
Electoral Saxony
Legal History
thema EDItEUR::L Law::LA Jurisprudence and general issues::LAZ Legal history
thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology::NH History::NHD European history
thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology::NH History::NHD European history::NHDJ European history: medieval period, middle ages
thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRM Christianity::QRMF Christianity: sacred texts and revered writings::QRMF1 Bibles::QRMF12 Old Testaments
Online Access:ONIX_20251118T124429_9783412533861_3
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Summary:In medieval and early modern Christian Europe, the power to exercise pardon over rigor of justice was one of the strongest manifestations of sovereignty and, as such, it was almost ubiquitous. For merciful rulers, pardoning was a means to enforce peace and assert the supremacy of their judicial authority, whereas for subjects, it was primarily a way to save their lives and escape punishment, often at a lower cost than other mitigating practices. Studying the predominant role of pardon in medieval and early modern societies, this collective volume examines how pardons operated within complex legal systems marked by a plurality of legal orders, where various means of conflict resolution coexisted and litigants had to navigate multiple levels of authorities.

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