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The king punishes murderers from Tavira
According to a report found in The National Arquive Torre do Tombo, in 1505, King D. Manuel I applied multiple punishments to murderers from Tavira, because on that period the king had absolute power, having always the final say about all the aspects of people’s lives.
In Gonçalo Pires’s incident (curator and dweller), murderer from Tavira, as a punishment for his crimes, his estates were withdrawn from him and given to Bastião Gomes due to his services to the King.
Gonçalo Pires was condemned for brutally having beaten a person to death, along with his cousin, João Vaz.
In another case, Miguel Afonso, bricklayer from Tavira, killed his wife and then ran away to Castille, where he was already married to another woman. His mother- in- law denounced him and received half of Miguel Afonso’s estates, having the other half been given to Rui Martins, who had nothing to deal with this case but the king wanted to reward him. Rui Martins was a remarkable tin and brass craftsman from Tavira.
In those days, Justice rewarded informers whose cases proved to be true. These rewards were estates belonging to criminals, such as lands, houses and other assets. Nowadays this situation would be unthinkable, because Justice is separated from the Executive power. Therefore, the rights of the condemned have to be safeguarded, including their estates. Since the Constitutional Monarchy (1820), assets may not be withdrawn from anyone without a compensatory allowance.
D. Pedro IV de Portugal foi um dos principais apoiantes da Monarquia Constitucional
King D. Pedro IV of Portugal was one of the most important supporters of the Constitutional Monarchy
Carta Constitucional, acessível em https://goo.gl/Q3HHbi acedido em 27/04/2018
Imagem acessível em https://goo.gl/DmDh9i acedido em 27/4/201
The king's justice