There were two main types of cases the consistory courts dealt with, the first being “criminal” offence cases, in which someone confessed to or was accused of an offence against morality or church canon law. The second type was similar to civil suits, in which plaintiffs could bring a suit for reasons such as to enforce marriage contracts, seek restitution for defamation or compensation for violation of a contract. Sexual misconduct could be brought to the courts as either an offence or a civil suit, or it could also be dealt with in the secular courts depending on the nature of the individual case.