Changes in legal system:
Historian Brain Levack regards the reinvigoration if Roman Law across much of Europe as central to the process of witchcraft investigation. There was a new inquisitorial procedure where they investigated and made intense questioning so they would confess. Judges were able to torture suspected witches because it was a exceptional crime. The use of torture normally resulted in confession to witchcraft. Although countries in Europe didn't allow the use of torture, for example, England saw few witchcraft trials and almost no large-scale witch-hunts.
Although, the use of the inquisitorial process didn't always result in a witch-hunt. However, the inquisitors in Italy, France and Spain was very lenient with their treatment of those accused of witchcraft. Spain inquisitors only executed a handful of witches, Portuguese Inquisitors only one and the Roman Inquisitions none, but there was hundred of witchcraft cases in these areas. Inquisitors believed in the power of the devil but doubted whether people who performed maleficia had actually made a pact with Satan which gave them their special powers.