The judicial system in the medieval times were not as sophisticated as the one we have today. All crimes were put into three categories; Treason which were crimes against the crown and always ended in death. Felonies included things like robbery, witchcraft, violent act and things such as that. Last are misdemeanors were mainly for commoners and applied to crimes such as; petty theft, adultery, forgery, and even begging.
Most of the punishments ended in death, tortured until dead, and other things that go along with that. The punishment for treason was death by hanging, removing the person's internal organs, or quartering. People who committed felonies almost always received death by beheading or by hanging but not in all cases. And for misdemeanors the punishment almost never ended in death but it was not uncommon, their punishment would be along the lines of; burning at the steak, dismemberment, starvation, whipping, the pillory, and branding.
The pillory was used as an embarrassment and the branding was used so that if a person was caught doing another crime they would be punished harsher, most likely with death.
The justice system in the Elizabethan era was often quick and harsh. The prisons were not used as they are today, to take away a persons freedom. Then they were used as holding areas while they awaited trial. Though if you were lucky enough to learn to read then you had a chance of not being sentenced to death and instead. If you were a woman then you didn’t receive that kind of mercy, or any for that matter.
The Elizabethan era should be called The era of pain and torture techniques. There were hundreds of different types of