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Simple English definitions for legal terms
Constitutions of Clarendon
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A quick definition of Constitutions of Clarendon:
The Constitutions of Clarendon were a set of rules made in the 12th century during the reign of King Henry II. They were created to limit the power of the church courts and make sure that religious leaders were not above the law. The king offered these rules to the church leaders, but they were rejected by Thomas Becket, who was later murdered. After this, the courts run by the king became more powerful than the church courts.
A more thorough explanation:
The Constitutions of Clarendon were a set of laws created in the 12th century during the reign of King Henry II. They were meant to limit the power of the church courts and make sure that clergy members were subject to the same laws as everyone else.
For example, one of the laws stated that if a clergy member committed a crime, they would be tried in a secular court instead of a church court. This was a big change because before the Constitutions of Clarendon, clergy members were often exempt from secular justice.
The Constitutions of Clarendon were a major source of conflict between King Henry II and Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury. Becket refused to accept the laws, which led to a long and bitter dispute between the two men.
Overall, the Constitutions of Clarendon were an important step in the development of English law and helped to establish the power of the secular courts over the church courts.