Did you know that for centuries in England, your ability to recite a single Bible verse could save you from the gallows? Join us for a deep dive into the bizarre and fascinating legal history of "benefit of clergy". We'll unpack how this started as an exemption for ordained priests, morphed into a literacy test with the infamous "neck verse", and reveals a tangled web of church influence, social hierarchies, and evolving ideas about law. Discover who could claim this strange privilege, who couldn't, and why it existed for so long. We'll explore the power struggles between church and crown, the surprising application of this medieval concept in colonial America – even during the lead-up to the Revolution – and why this unequal system eventually faded away.
Was benefit of clergy a step towards justice or a symbol of profound inequality? Listen now to explore this historical quirk and consider its faint echoes in today's legal landscape.
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