The martial treatises of late medieval Europe have taught us a great deal about the techniques of judicial duelling.  What they don’t explain are the circumstances that led people to the lists in the first place.  Who participated in judicial duels?  What kind of cases could go to combat?  How did the procedure work and why did people think it was a good idea?  Ariella Elema, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Toronto’s Centre for Medieval Studies, presents a lecture and slideshow on the subject of her doctoral dissertation.