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An Introduction to English Legal History » (4th Edition)

Book cover image of An Introduction to English Legal History by J. H. Baker

Authors: J. H. Baker
ISBN-13: 9780406930538, ISBN-10: 0406930538
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Date Published: May 2002
Edition: 4th Edition

Author Biography: J. H. Baker

St Catharine's College, Cambridge

Book Synopsis

This book traces, in outline, the development of the principal features of English legal institutions and doctrines from Anglo-Saxon times to the present. The Introduction has become a standard work on the subject. It has now been updated and improved in consequence of the rapid pace of research in legal history over recent years, which has made this new edition a necessity.

	Preface
	Table of Statutes
	Table of Cases
	Kings and Queens of England since 1066
	Table of Abbreviations
1	Law and Custom in Early Britain	1
	'Communal' Justice	3
	From Communal to Personal Authority	8
2	Origins of the Common Law	12
	Regional an Itinerant Royal Justice	14
	Central Royal Justice	17
	Effects on Local Justice	22
	The Boundaries of English Law	27
3	The Superior Courts of Common Law	37
	The Resurgence of the King's Bench	41
	The Exchequer of Pleas	47
	Uniformity and Abolition	49
4	The Forms of Action	53
	Originating an Action	53
	Types of Original Writ	57
	Judicial Writs	64
	End of the Forms of Action	67
5	The Jury and Pleading	71
	From 'Proof' to 'Trial'	72
	Medieval Pleading and Legal Development	76
	The System Transformed	81
	Decline of the Common-Law System	86
	End of the Common-Law System	90
6	The Court of Chancery and Equity	97
	The Chancery	99
	Law and Equity	105
	Practical Defects of the later Chancery	111
	Reform and Abolition	113
7	The Conciliar Courts	117
	The Court of Star Chamber	117
	The Court of Requests	119
	Regional Conciliar and Equity Courts	121
	The Courts of the Admiral and Marshal	122
8	The Ecclesiastical Courts	126
	Effect of the Reformation	130
9	Judicial Review of Decisions	135
	Proceedings in Error	136
	Development of the Appeal	138
	The Prerogative Writs	143
	Administrative Law	151
10	The Legal Profession	155
	The Medieval Profession	156
	The New Profession	162
	The Judiciary	165
	Civilian Advocates	169
	Legal Education in the Universities	170
11	Legal Literature	175
	Glanvill and Bracton	175
	Formularies	177
	Reports of Cases	178
	Treatises	186
12	Law Making	195
	The Common Law	196
	Equity and Legal Change	202
	Legislation	204
	Law Reform Movements	212
13	Real Property: Feudal Tenure	223
	Tenure	223
	Feudalism and Land Ownership	229
	The Lord's Rights at Common Law	237
Table B	Types of property	246
Table C	Types of tenure	247
14	Real Property: Feudalism and Uses	248
	Effect on Feudal Law	252
15	Real Property: Inheritance and Estates	259
	Alienation	260
	The Law of Inheritance	265
	Provision for Spouses and New Families	269
	Reversions and Remainders	274
Table D	Estates in land	279
Table E	Modes of conveying real property	279
16	Real Property: Family Settlements	280
	Remainders and Executory Interests	284
	Powers	289
	Trusts	290
	The Strict Settlement	293
17	Other Interests in Land	298
	The Term of Years	298
	Tenancy at Will	306
	Villein Tenure and Copyhold	307
	The Trust as an Interest in Land	309
	Mortgages	311
18	Contract: Covenant and Debt	317
	The Action of Covenant	318
	The Action of Debt	321
	Gaps in the Medieval Law	326
19	Contract: Assumpsit and Deceit	329
	Breach of Covenant as Trespass	329
	Assumpsit for Nonfeasance	333
	Assumpsit in Lieu of Debt	341
20	Contract: Some Later Developments	347
	Elaboration of Contract Law	350
	Privity	353
	Contractual Terms	355
21	Quasi-Contract	362
	The Action of Account	363
	Actions on the Case	365
	Indebitatus Assumpsit	368
	A General Principle	375
22	Property in Chattels Personal	379
	Modes of Transfer	383
	Termination of Private Property in Chattels	387
	Interests in Chattels	389
	Early Restitutionary Proceedings	390
	Detinue	391
	Trespass and Case for Chattels	394
	Trover and Conversion	397
23	Negligence	401
	Trespass Vi et Armis and Negligence	402
	Actions on the Case for Negligence	406
	The Tort of Negligence	409
24	Nuisance	422
	Remedies of Nuisance	422
	Isolated Occurrences	432
	Common or Public Nuisances	433
25	Defamation	436
	Actions on the Case for Words	438
	Attempts to Abate the Flood of Actions	440
	The Scope of Defamation	443
	Libel	445
26	Economic Torts	448
	Monopolies	449
	Domestic Relationships	454
	Unfair or Deceptive Competition	458
	Intimidation and Conspiracy	459
27	Persons: Status and Liberty	466
	Villein Status	468
	Freedom from Arbitrary Imprisonment	472
	Colonial Slavery and the English Courts	475
28	Persons: Marriage and its Consequences	479
	The Law of Marriage	479
	Unity of Person	483
	Bastardy	489
	Divorce	490
29	Pleas of the Crown: Criminal Procedure	500
	The Initiation of Criminal Proceedings	502
	The Trial	507
	The Avoidance or Mitigation of Punishment	512
30	Pleas of the Crown: The Substantive Criminal Law	521
	Criminal Responsibility	523
	Degrees of Participation	525
	Some Particular Offences	526
App. I	Specimen Writs	539
App. II	Specimen Entries	554
	Index	563

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An Introduction to English Legal History » (4th Edition)

Author Biography: J. H. Baker

Book Synopsis

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