Délinquance, justice et société en Lyonnais : fin XIIIe-début XVIe siècle

Delinquency, justice and society in the ''lyonnais'' (late 13th century - early 16th century)

• Auteur / Autrice : Nicole Gonthier
• Direction : René Fédou
• Type : Thèse de doctorat
• Discipline(s) : Lettres
• Date : Soutenance en 1988
• Etablissement(s) : Lyon 3

Mots clés

Mots clés contrôlés

Conditions sociales

Histoire sociale -- Moyen âge

Criminalité

Moyen âge

Lyonnais (France)

France

Justice

Résumé

Seigneurie d'empire, le lyonnais dispose d'une administration judiciaire complexe, sous la responsabilite de l'archeveque de lyon et des chanoines cathedraux. Devenu senechaussee du royaume de france, apres son annexion a celui-ci en 1312, le comte doit accueillir les representants de la police et de la justice royales qui entrent en concurrence avec les officiers des seigneurs ecclesiastiques. Cette concurrence donne lieu a des exces de zele, a des abus de pouvoir qui compromettent la reputation des justiciers mais elle conduit plus souvent a un perfectionnement de la procedure, a un souci d'equite et d'efficacite particulierement positifs. Le serieux des instructions, la large part laissee a l'arbitraire du juge, la moderation des sentences figurent comme les principales caracteristiques de la justice lyonnaise. La region presente des conditions favorables a la delinquance : terre de passage pour les marginaux, elle subit les exactions des routiers et les populations connaissent les crises economiques qui exasperent les tensions sociales. Cependant, au-dela des differences de style remarquees entre la delinquance rurale et la delinquance urbaine, on constate que l'agressivite generale reste modeste et que la tendance majeure est davantage au vol qu'a la violence meurtriere. Parmi les delinquants, les artisans, les femmes, et les jeunes gens sont les plus nombreux, devant les clercs et les etrangers. Aux femmes et aux clercs on reproche surtout les adulteres et les concubinages, tandis que les jeunes gens comparaissent frequemment pour des viols ou des rixes. Des etrangers on redoute surtout les vols et les escroqueries, des artisans les fraudes et les violences. Si l'appauvrissement suscite des delits mineurs, l'aprete au gain et l'ambition, en revanche, poussent les notables a des actes fort graves. Plus generalement, chacun des delits perpetres revele la place que tient son auteur dans la societe ainsi que sa sensibilite au monde. Pour les gouvernants les justiciables sont des enjeux : a travers eux ils demontrent leur pouvoir de commandement, inculquent aux administres les notions d'ordre et de loi qui remplacent peu a peu celles de franchises et de coutumes. C'est pourquoi ils consentent a de lourds sacrifices financiers pour dispenser la haute justice, d'autant plus que l'ordre politique recherche tend a se confondre avec un certain conformisme moral et religieux que l'etude des proces permet de mieux definir.

As an empire seignory, the lyonnais has a complex judicial administration for which the archbishop of lyon and the cathedral canons are responsible. After its annexion by the kingdom of france in 1312 it becomes a kingdom seneschalsy. On its territory the earldom must admit the royal justice and police officers who compete with those of the ecclesiastical lords. This competition causes some over-zealousness and misuse of power which bring discredit upon the dispensers of justice but more often than not it brings about an improvement of the procedure, more concern for equity and efficiency, which are particularly positive. Serious investigations, great freedom left to the judge, moderate sentences are the distinctive qualities of justice in the lyonnais. The region is a favorable one for law-breakers : a frequent passing through place for dropouts, it is the victim of ''routiers'' and its populations have to suffer economic crises which make social difficulties even worse. However, beyond discrepancies between rural and urban delinquency, it may be noted that general violence remains unimportant and that thefts are in greater number than murderous attacks. Craftsmen, women and young men account for the majority of the delinquents immediately followed by clerics and foreigners. Women and clerics are mainly reproached with adultery and concubinage while young men are often summoned to appear for rape or brawl. Foreigners are mainly accused of robbery and swindling, craftsmen of fraud and violence, if impoverishment leads to minor offences, cupidity and ambition on the other hand drive the richest to more serious ones. More generally, every illegal act reflects the offender's position in society as well as the way he reacts to the world. For the rulers all the people subject to court action are at stake : they can prove their power through them, they can teach them law and order which gradually take place of franchises and common law. This is the reason why they are ready to spend plenty of money to dispense high justice, all the more so as the political order they seek to institute is very close to a moral and religious conformism that the study of lawsuits allows to know better.