Sir Edward Coke and the reformation of the laws : religion, politics and jurisprudence, 1578-1616 / David Chan Smith.

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2014.

1st edition

86616

Coke, Edward, -- Sir, -- 1552-1634 -- Influence.

Law reform -- England -- History -- 16th century.

Law reform -- England -- History -- 17th century.

Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 1558-1603.

Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 1603-1625.

1. Uncertainty and the reformation of the laws

2. The most dangerous oppressor : the misuse of the law

3. Confidence and corruption : the law in the Fens

4. Identity and narratives of the past

5. Reason and reform

6. Pragmatism and the High Commission

7. Chancery, reform and the limits of cooperation

8. Delegation and moral kingship

This work is many things. A brief review does it no justice at all. You should read it. It is an intellectual history. This is a heady mix of history and ideas in social context. At the heart of this analysis is the traditional battle between liberty of the subject and the Royal prerogative. Coke's perception of these forces in the law is part of his "arrogant genius". Coke's ambition was to protect confidence in the proceedings of the law. This desire shaped his thinking about public law questions and the rights of the subject. This work is not a biography, but it describes Coke's progression from lawyer, to Crown law officer, and then to judge. Smith provides an explanation of the rivalry Coke had with Sir Thomas Egerton and Sir Francis Bacon. It soon becomes clear that these law reformers were not a cohesive group. This impressive work makes a significant contribution to the existing scholarship on Sir Edward Coke.

Based on author's thesis (doctoral - Harvard University), 2007.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

9781107069299

ix, 299 p. ; 24 cm