The Judicial Use of Torture

The Judicial Use of Torture by Lawrence A. Lowell offers a rigorous and unsettling examination of one of humanity’s darkest legal instruments—the deliberate infliction of pain in the pursuit of truth. Drawing upon historical records from medieval Europe, ecclesiastical courts, and civil tribunals, Lowell dissects how torture evolved from a sanctioned method of judicial inquiry into a symbol of tyranny and moral corruption.

Through careful analysis of legal codes, confessions, and moral arguments, the author exposes the uneasy alliance between law, faith, and coercion, revealing how reason and justice were often subverted by fear and superstition. His study traces the gradual rejection of torture as a means of proof, situating this transformation within the rise of modern legal thought and the humanitarian conscience of later centuries.

A chilling yet essential document, this work remains a cornerstone for those seeking to understand the history of justice, cruelty, and the human capacity to justify both.

Complete edition of Lawrence A. Lowell’s influential legal-historical study

Examines the origins, practice, and abolition of judicial torture

Explores the intersection of law, theology, and human rights

Essential for readers of legal history, moral philosophy, and criminology