Fully revised and updated, this classic text provides the authoritative introduction to the history of the English common law. The book traces the development of the principal features of English legal institutions and doctrines from Anglo-Saxon times to the present and, combined with Baker and Milsom's Sources of Legal History, offers invaluable insights into the development of the common law of persons, obligations, and property, and also of criminal and public law. It is an essential reference point for all lawyers, historians and students seeking to understand the evolution of English law over a millennium. The book provides an introduction to the main characteristics, institutions, and doctrines of English law over the longer term - particularly the evolution of the common law before the extensive statutory changes and regulatory regimes of the last two centuries. It explores how legal change was brought about in the common law and how judges and lawyers managed to square evolution with respect for inherited wisdom.
A brief history of the principal English institutions and doctrines. Topics examined include law and custom in early Britain, the origins of common law, the judiciary and various courts, trial by jury, laws affecting property, and laws concerning marriage and divorce, nuisance, tort and defamation.
"The Best Available Introduction to English Legal History" In this work Professor Colby has gathered, annotated and arranged into a sequential history of English law numerous essays by Frederic William Maitland and Francis C. Montague. Each chapter includes a list of recommended readings. These articles supplied what long had been needed for general readers and for law students-a brief but comprehensive, accurate but untechnical account of the origin and growth of English law. ... this series of articles now forms the best available introduction to English legal history. James F. Colby, iii Widely considered the father of legal history, Frederic William Maitland [1850-1906] was an English jurist and historian best known for the standard The History of English Law Before the Time of Edward I, 2 vol. (1895), written with Sir Frederick Pollock. He was educated at Eton and Cambridge and studied at Lincoln's Inn, London. Maitland was called to the bar in 1876, then practiced until 1884 when he became a reader in English law (1884) and professor (1888) at Cambridge. He founded the Selden Society in 1887. Hailed for his original outlook on history, his works profoundly influenced legal scholarship. An extraordinarily productive career was shortened by his death from tuberculosis at age 45. Francis C. Montague [1858-1935] was a Professor of History at University College, London and Lecturer in Modern History, Oriel College, Oxford. He was also the author of The History of England from the Accession of James I. to the Restoration (1907) and The Elements of English Constitutional History from the Earliest Times to the Present Day (1910). James F. Colby [1850-1939] taught international law at Yale Law School from 1883 until 1885. He later taught history and political economics at Dartmouth College, and was Parker Professor of Law and Political Science at Dartmouth College from 1885-1916 and lectured in jurisprudence and international law at Boston University Law School from 1905-1922. CONTENTS CH. I Early English Law, 600 A.D.-1066 CH. II English Law Under Norman Rule and the Legal Reforms of Henry II., 1066-1216 CH. III Growth of Law from Henry II. to Edward I., 1154-1272 CH. IV Legal reform under Edward I. and the System of Writs, 1272-1307 CH. V Growth of Statute and Common Law and Rise of the Court of Chancery, 1307-1600 CH. VI Completion of the Common Law and Statutory Reforms after the Restoration, 1600-1688 CH. VII The Supremacy of Parliament and Rapid Growth of Statute Law, 1688-1800 CH. VIII Growth of Statute Law and Legal Reforms in the Nineteenth Century APPENDICES INDEX
Introduction to the English Legal System is the ideal foundation for those coming new to the study of law. Writing in a highly engaging and accessible style, Martin Partington introduces the purposes and functions of English law, the law-making process, and the machinery of justice, while also challenging assumptions and exploring current debates. Consolidating over 40 years' experience in the law, Martin Partington examines beliefs about the English legal system, and encourages students to question how far it meets the growing demands placed on it. Incorporating all the latest developments, this concise introduction brings law and the legal system to life. Digital formats and resources: This edition is available for students and institutions to purchase in a variety of formats, and is supported by online resources. - The e-book offers a mobile experience and convenient access along with functionality tools, navigation features, and links that offer extra learning support: www.oxfordtextbooks.co.uk/ebooks - The online resources include questions for reflection and discussion; self-test questions; a glossary; further reading materials; web links; and a link to Martin Partington's blog, which covers key developments in the English justice system.
A concise examination of the central role of legal decisions in shaping key social issues explores topics ranging from Native American affairs and slavery to business and home life as well as how criminal and civil offenses have been addressed in positive and negative ways. Original.
Sources of English Legal History: Public Law to 1750 is the definitive source book on the foundations of English public law. An extensive collection of illustrative original materials, it is a companion book to Baker and Milsom Sources of English Legal History: Private Law to 1750, 2e (OUP, 2010).
