Crown witnesses: strategies for legal and judicial reform amidst protestant uprisings

Abstract

The text explores the concept of transitional justice, traditionally associated with shifts from authoritarian to democratic regimes, but here understood more broadly as changes in political-administrative systems that impact institutions and laws. Using this wider perspective, the case of the Netherlands under Philip II is examined—specifically the period following the Iconoclastic Fury, a wave of unrest in West Flanders. This led to a shift in the Crown’s approach, marked by the resignation of Margaret of Parma and the arrival of the Duke of Alba. Amid widespread public disorder and a loss of trust in local authorities, efforts were made to reconstruct the region’s legal and institutional systems. In this context, friar Lorenzo de Villavicencio, a Spanish agent familiar with the Flemish situation, wrote a series of recommendations—referred to as "warnings"—on how the Duke should rebuild the administration and courts. Although many of his suggestions were implemented, they ultimately failed to prevent further deterioration.