Medieval Law In Context »

Anthony Musson is a Barrister of the Middle Temple and Lecturer in English Law at the University of Exeter.

Offering an important new perspective on medieval political, legal, and social history in England, Anthony Musson examines how medieval people at all social levels thought about law, justice, politics, and their role in society. He provides a history of judicial developments in the 13th and 14th centuries, while interweaving within each chapter a special focus on different facets of legal culture and experience. This illuminating approach reveals a comprehensive picture of two centuries worth of tremendous social change.

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Musson (U. of Exeter, UK) applies an unusual approach by resting his work on the assumption that law was not a separate entity in the medieval world, but part of daily life; that medieval people had a "legal consciousness". The psychological aspect of law, and its role in great events in English history are common themes as Musson considers the following aspects: professionalization; pragmatic legal knowledge<-->this includes family and household, communal obligations, court attendance, church attendance, office- holding, and literacy; participation in the royal courts; the role of parliament, and the politicization of law. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)