The position of judge lasted for the rest of the person's life and they could only be removed from office for misconduct or malpractice. The emperor himself was in charge of selecting a superior judge who elected the rest of the judges of the empire. The judges were seen with great respect and honor, as they were said to act fairly, ethically and impartially. However, any decision could be taken by the emperor, who held public trials every 12 days to evaluate certain decisions that merited his participation. The one in charge of making the final decision in the Supreme Court was a judge called chief justice. In second instance, there were judges in superior courts that were in charge of dealing with appeals and judgments of warriors and nobles.įinally, the Aztecs had a Supreme Court, with judges able to deal with special cases and concerning the empire. There was one in the first instance that was responsible for the crimes committed by ordinary people. Thursdays in the Aztec judicial system acted in three different courts. Teens and young people could not be seen drunk in public, because this was also considered a crime worthy of execution. In fact, they were executed if they attacked their parents physically.Īnother punishment that could be imposed on children in the courts was that they were disinherited by their parents, or even beaten to show them respect. Children and adolescentsĬhildren under the age of 10 were not considered capable of committing crimes, but they could be taken to court by their parents if they were disrespectful. In fact, not only those who practiced adultery were sentenced to death, but also anyone who knew the case and did not report it to a court. The thief was forced to pay the price of the stolen object to its owner, and in case of not being able to pay it, the thief became the slave of the victim.Īdultery was also considered a crime punishable by death.
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However, simple robbery (as long as it was not armed) was punished more simply. Likewise, the capital punishment could also be executed on anyone who posed as a member of royalty using the emperor's insignia. If it was stolen from a merchant, a temple or military forces, it could be punished with death. Thefts were considered particularly serious crimes. Homicide, perjury, rape, abortion, armed robbery, defamation, destruction of property of others and many others were punished by death. The Aztecs considered many crimes important enough to be punished with the death penalty.
Aztec were warlike people full#
These decisions were taken in full by the judge in charge of the case. Depending on the type of crime, the punishment could be very painful or death could be quick. Punishments could be carried out in various ways, especially death sentences. The conditions in some prison systems were so strong that the prisoners used to die while serving their sentences. These prisons included corridors of death (areas where those who were to be executed were imprisoned), areas for those who did not pay their debts and even small cells for people who were guilty of minor crimes. Unlike the Mayans, the Aztec civilization had an extensive prison system that accompanied its judicial system. Depending on the type of crime, the criminal's family could also be punished. In turn, the type of punishment depended on the crime that was carried out however, the most common form of punishment was execution.Ĭrimes that did not merit execution could be punished in various ways, such as the destruction of the house of the guilty, the haircut of the criminal or prison sentences. The crimes in the Aztec justice system were severely punished.
Aztec were warlike people series#
The cases were taken to the courts in first instance, then they were submitted to a series of appeals and could be taken to special courts, depending on the circumstance. The judicial system was structured in a very similar way to the current United States system.
Aztec were warlike people code#
The Aztec legal system took a definite form when the great leader of the Texaco, Nezahualcoyotl, wrote a code of 80 statutes that aimed to improve the legal system and establish greater order in the society of the time. In some cases, when they appeared in the offending courts, a special punishment could be applied as a consequence of the repetition of legal faults. The system allowed the judges to act in a somewhat liberal manner, judging the situation according to their own judgment and then applying the rules as they were described. They had court systems, where there were judges who were responsible for enforcing the laws. The laws revolved around tradition: they were inherited from generation to generation and, based on these an intricate system was created. It was designed to maintain order in society and maintain respect for government institutions. The Aztec justice system was highly complex.
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