[Mrs. Don-o]

No, it's not the Islamic Inquisition. Church inquisitions had authority only to investigate (which is what "inquisition" means -- it's an inquest) and only over church members. They had and claimed no authority over the unbaptized.

(This applies to Church inquisitons, not State inquisitions.)

Moreover, the Inquisition initiated and developed the practice of Procedural Due Process. making it far fairer than the secular courts of the time. An accused person would ordinarily fare better at the hands of the Inquisition than the only two other alternatives: mob justice, or prosecution by a prince or noble who was interested in seizing their estates. People even sought to have their cases transferred from civil to ecclesiastical courts, in order to benefit from the signficantly improved chance of being acquitted.

A little more Inquisition historical background here (Link) plus this additional great link to historian Thomas Madden.

[Usagi_yo]

Like I said. Inquisition.