Sources of English legal history : public law to 1750 / Sir John Baker.

Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2024.

1st edition

201724

Public law -- England -- History.

Public law -- Wales -- History.

1. The monarchy

2. Devolution of the crown

3. Charters and confirmations of liberties

4. The King and the rule of law

5. The High Court of Parliament

6. Parliamentary legislation

7. Subordinate legislation

8. The Central Courts of common law

9. The Court of Chancery

10. Conciliar Courts

11. The Church and its jurisdiction

12. The High Commission

13. Local authority and jurisdiction

14. Liberty of the person

15. Taxation and purveyance

16. Freedom of trade

17. Treason

18. Homicide

19. Offences in respect of property

20. Criminal responsibility

21. Criminal procedure

22. The death penalty and its avoidance

23. The boundaries of English law.

Sources of English Legal History: Public Law to 1750 is the definitive source book on the foundations of English public law. A companion to Baker and Milsom's Sources of English Legal History: Private Law to 1750 2e (OUP, 2010), this new volume offers an extensive collection of illustrative original materials, many of which are previously unpublished. It contains significant new material on the history of habeas corpus, mandamus, and certiorari, as well as well-known constitutional landmarks from the earliest times to 1750. Writing on the history of public law has tended to focus solely on the texts of statutes and formal records. In contrast, the present book concentrates on the forensic arguments and judicial decisions that led to the emergence of legal principles in the field of public law, including criminal law and the regulation of jurisdictions. It illuminates the growth of public law during the medieval and early modern periods, addressing the state's legislative and judicial organs, its coercive functions, and more broadly, the respective powers of the crown and parliament. The first work of its kind, this book is an essential resource for anyone interested in legal and constitutional history. - Publisher's website.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

9780199546794

lii, 788 pages ; 25 cm