Justice and Punishment

Unusual crimes ranging from witchcraft to the simple act of milking your neighbour's cow, absurd laws banning people from gaining weight or playing football, interrogation methods bordering on torture, and punishments that often defy belief, the history of justice is full of astonishing stories. The documentary series Justice and Punishment journeys back to the dawn of humanity to revisit the evolution of justice through the centuries.

Each episode explores a different category of crime, tracing its evolution from its distant historical origins to the way it is understood and prosecuted today. Along the way, viewers discover that some offences considered criminal today were once part of everyday life—particularly those involving violence against women and children. The series also uncovers the origins of bizarre laws and reveals medieval punishments harsh enough to make even the most hardened among us wince.

The works of the following authors were consulted during the preparation of this series: Sandra Boehringer, Mireille Brémond, Marie-Aimée Cliche, Georges Condault, David T. Courtwright, Marie-Thérèse Cousin, Zoë Dubus Claire Duport, Catherine Ferland, Donald Fyson, Jean-Philippe Garneau, Claude Gauvard, Samuel Heine, Antoine Idier, Lukasz Kamienski, André Lachance, Bertrand Lebeau-Leibovici, Thierry Lefebvre, Alain Morel, Jean-Pierre Poly, Emmanuelle Retaillaud, Suzette Robichon, Julien Théry, Sylvie Tomolillo, Valérie Toureille, Paul Veyne, Geneviève Ribordy, Jean-Louis Thireau, Vincent Verroust, Georges Vigarello and Yves Zoltani.