Trial By Combat

The ancient medieval right of a man to challenge his accuser to personal combat remained vaild under British law exactly 200 years ago. It had been almost forgotten, until, in 1817, a man called Thornton was accused of murdering a woman named Mary Ashford. Thornton claimed the right to decide his guilt or innocence in battle with his accuser, the dead girl's brother - and the law courts were forced to uphold his claim. Because Mary Ashford’s brother refused the challenge, Thornton got off scot-free. Parliament changed the law a year later.