noun
trial by ordeal
Historical term referring to a judicial practice in which the accused undergoes a painful or dangerous test, with the outcome believed to reflect divine judgment.
中世ヨーロッパでは、神明裁判が広く行われていた。
In medieval Europe, trial by ordeal was widely practiced.
Compound of 神明 (shinmei, 'gods, divine') and 裁判 (saiban, 'trial, judgment'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the term is used to describe the Western medieval practice of trial by ordeal.