Legal Definitions - trial by oath

Definition: Trial by oath is a legal process where a person's guilt or innocence is determined by the sworn testimony of witnesses or the accused themselves. This is also known as compurgation.

Example: In medieval Europe, trial by oath was a common method of resolving disputes. If someone was accused of a crime, they could bring in a certain number of people to swear under oath that they believed the accused was innocent. If enough people swore to the accused's innocence, they would be acquitted.

This example illustrates how trial by oath was used in the past to determine guilt or innocence. It relied on the testimony of witnesses and the belief that a group of people would not lie under oath.