Jesus's Trial, Part 1. The Laws Broken by the Religious Leaders: A Summary

"You shall not distort justice…Justice, and only justice, you shall pursue, that you may live and possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you."
(Deuteronomy 16:19a, 20)

This is the first of five articles discussing the events and circumstances of Jesus's religious trial before the Jewish authorities. The purpose of these articles is to highlight the injustices done to Jesus during His religious trials by demonstrating the various ways the religious establishment violated or loopholed God's laws and their own rules in their efforts to execute Him.

This first article is a simplified version of articles four and five. Instead of describing each law in detail and explaining how it was violated during the prosecution of Jesus, this article simply lists the various laws broken by the priests and Pharisees during Jesus's trials.

A SIMPLE LIST OF LAWS THE RELIGIOUS AUTHORITIES BROKE DURING THE TRIAL OF JESUS

1. Conspiracy

Judges were forbidden to conspire against an individual or person for the purpose of
condemning him.

2. Neutrality 

Judges had to be neutral and impartial, having neither favor nor disfavor to either side.

3. Rigged Trial

Judges were to weigh all the evidence and render an honest, fair verdict.

4. Bribery

No arrest or trial could be conducted if a bribe was involved. Religious authorities were forbidden to take or offer a bribe in legal matters. They were not to participate in any part of a legal prosecution that was influenced by a bribe.

5. Illegal Timing (four laws)

No part of a trial involving a capital offense could be conducted at night.

There were to be no trials until after the morning sacrifices had been performed.

Trials could not proceed on the eve of a Sabbath or on a Feast Day.

In cases involving capital punishment, an acquittal could be issued the day the trial began, but a guilty verdict could not be issued on the first day of the trial.

6. Illegal Location

The Sanhedrin was to minster trials in a public, pre-established location.

7. Lack of a Charge

Trials must present a concrete charge against the accused that can be verified or falsified.

8. Lack of Defense 

In cases involving capital crimes, the trial begins with a statement on behalf of the defendant.

9. Lack of Evidence

Convictions were based on two or three witnesses whose testimonies were in agreement.

10. Abuse 

Prisoners were to be treated fairly and humanely by those who judged them.

11. False Witnesses

Witnesses were to only testify to what was true.

12. Improper Prosecution (two laws)

A judge could not act as an advocate for or against the defendant.

A judge could not serve as a witness.

13. Forced Self-Incrimination

It was unlawful to use a defendant's testimony about himself.

14. Blasphemy

It was blasphemous for the High Priest to tear his holy garments.

15. Ignoring the Evidence

Judges were to carefully consider the evidence of both sides before rendering a just decision.

16. Faulty Verdict (two laws)

The verdict was to be taken one vote at a time, starting with the youngest member.

If a verdict was unanimous for guilt, the defendant was automatically acquitted.

17. Hasty Sentence 

In capital trials, a death sentence was to be delivered the day after finding the defendant guilty.

18. Murder

You shalt not murder.

This concludes the first article in this series about the religious prosecution of Jesus.

To learn more about these violations and to see a more thorough explanation of these laws and how the priests and scribes broke them in their prosecution of Jesus, please visit the fourth and fifth articles in this series. These articles are:

"An Explanation of the Judicial Principles that were Violated in the Religious Prosecution of Jesus." This article focuses on three general judicial laws and sacred principles found in the Torah and/or the Mishnah that Jesus's judges either violated or loopholed in order to condemn Him.

"An Explanation of the Laws of Practice that were Violated in the Religious Prosecution of Jesus." This article focuses on fourteen areas of judicial practice and procedure that were detailed in the Torah and/or the Mishnah that Jesus's judges either violated or loopholed in order to condemn Him.

To learn more about the background of the religious prosecution of Jesus, see the second article of this series:

"The Law of Moses, the Mishnah, and the Political Actors who Condemned Jesus."
This article explains the two sources of Jewish law in Jesus's day as well as introducing the key figures/groups who prosecuted Jesus. These groups and individuals are: The Pharisees; The Sadducees; Annas; Caiaphas; and the Sanhedrin.

To learn more about how the events of Jesus's religious prosecution came together and unfolded, see the third article in this series:

"The Five Stages of Jesus's Religious Prosecution."
This article sequentially describes the events of how Jesus came to be condemned to death by the religious authorities, beginning with the Conspiracy and His Arrest and ending with His three trials: the Preliminary Trial in the house of Annas; the Nighttime Trial in the house of Caiaphas; and the Sunrise Trial on the Temple grounds.