Legal Definitions - inquisition

An inquisition is a type of judicial inquiry that can be derogatory and grueling. It can also refer to the record of a jury's findings in a coroner's investigation into a person's death.

• During the Spanish Inquisition, people were often tortured and killed for their religious beliefs.
• The police conducted an inquisition into the suspect's activities, questioning him for hours without a lawyer present.
• The coroner's inquisition determined that the cause of death was accidental.

The first example illustrates the derogatory and grueling nature of an inquisition, as people were tortured and killed for their beliefs. The second example shows how an inquisition can be conducted without regard for a person's civil rights. The third example demonstrates the use of the term in reference to a coroner's investigation into a person's death.