It was written "People sent to the prisons of the King (Philip III of Spain 1578-1621) blasphemed and accused themselves of heresy just to be sent under the Inquisitional jurisdiction instead of the King's."

One of the reasons for that was that although all the courts were using torture, the Inquisition has pretty strict rules for how it's doing this.

In some ways the medieval Inquisition was an attempt to actually introduce actual judicial practices. Written law, written rules, using actual Roman law procedures as opposed to what regular courts were using (trial by ordeal, trial by combat). The church was trying to suppress ordeal (holding hot irons and see how they heal). Instead, the Inquisition was doing things like testimony, fact finding. Spanish Inquisition ie: torture could only be used when there was already sufficient evidence of culpability, torture could not permanently mutilate, and couldn't be used on young, elderly, pregnant (these rules were nt always followed).

Only had jurisdiction over Christians (self-identified). Jews and Muslims turned over to civil courts, or deported under king's royal law (was a law they couldn't live in Spain).

- Guy from CentrePlace