Understanding our system of laws requires a knowledge of the past, in particular the roots of a legal tradition that took hold in medieval England. This landmark volume is an authoritative study of the inspirational and legal history of England, spanning the period of Richard III on Bosworth Field in 1485. In writing this book, Bryce Lyon has produced a work whose breadth of scholarship is unique among studies of the period. Each of its six sections includes chapters on local and central government and the law, as well as on such topics as feudalism, taxation, church-state relations, the Magna Carta, and parliament. With a modern's cognizance of the impact of bureaucracy in shaping government and law, Professor Lyon places special emphasis on the importance of administrative developments. He also demonstrates that many of medieval England's institutions and legal procedures are the forerunners of both modern English and American legal and governmental institutions, pointing out, for example, the close connection between medieval royal prerogative and modern presidential executive privilege, and the similarities between the procedures and privileges of the medieval parliament and the American Congress. The new edition incorporates the results of the last two decades of medieval scholarship and includes completely new bibliographies for each section, as well as a new discussion of the period 1399-1485, which takes into account the latest interpretations of Lancastrian and Yorkist history.
Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring The British constitution is regarded as unique among the constitutions of the world. What are the main characteristics of Britain's peculiar constitutional arrangements? How has the British constitution altered in response to the changing nature of its state - from England, to Britain, to the United Kingdom? What impact has the UK's developing relations with the European Union caused? These are some of the questions that Martin Loughlin addresses in this Very Short Introduction. As a constitution, it is one that has grown organically in response to changes in the economic, political, and social environment, and which is not contained in a single authoritative text. By considering the nature and authority of the current British constitution, and placing it in the context of others, Loughlin considers how the traditional idea of a constitution came to be retained, what problems have been generated as a result of adapting a traditional approach in a modern political world, looking at what the future prospects for the British constitution are. In this new edition of the Very Short Introduction, Loughlin includes a disucssion of the impact of developments over the decade since its first publication, examining Brexit, the Scottish independence referendum of 2014, and the settlement in Northern Ireland. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
A classic study of the British constitution, paying special attention to how Parliament and the monarchy work. The author frequently draws comparisons with the American Constitution, being generally critical of the American system of government.
A new approach to the telling of legal history, devoid of jargon and replete with good stories, which will be of interest to anyone wishing to know more about the common law - the spinal cord of the English body politic.
"It presents an alternative perspective on the end of Empire by focusing upon one aspect of constitutional decolonization and the importance of the local legal culture in determining each dependency's constitutional settlement, and provides a series of empirical case studies on the incorporation of human rights instruments into domestic constitutions when negotiated between a state and its dependencies. More generally this book highlights Britain's human rights legacy to its former Empire."--BOOK JACKET.