Legal Definitions - lex judicialis

Definition: Lex judicialis (leks joo-dish-ee-ay-lis) is a Latin term that refers to an ordeal, which is a primitive form of trial. It involves subjecting an accused person to a dangerous or painful physical test, and the result is considered a divine revelation of the person's guilt or innocence.

Examples:

• Ordeal by fire: The accused person was forced to hold a piece of hot metal or walk barefoot across a hot surface. The judgment of guilt or innocence depended on how quickly and cleanly the person's hands or feet healed.
• Ordeal by water: There were two types of ordeal by water. The first involved submerging the accused person in cold water, and guilt or innocence depended on whether the person floated or sank. The second involved placing the accused person's arm in boiling water, and guilt or innocence was determined by how quickly the arm healed.
• Ordeal of the morsel: The accused person was given a piece of bread or cheese that a priest had charged to stick in the throat of the guilty. If the person choked, they were declared guilty; if not, they were declared innocent.

These examples illustrate how an ordeal was used to determine guilt or innocence. The participants believed that God would reveal the truth through the ordeal. The accused person had to undergo a dangerous or painful physical test, and the result was considered a divine revelation of their guilt or innocence.