The Evolution of English Justice: Law, Politics and Society in the Fourteenth Century (British Studies Series)

This book aims to provide a lucid and approachable reassessment of the various political, economic and social pressures on the development of English justice in the fourteenth century. It suggests the best ways by which readers can understand the different historical debates and schools of thought. It stresses the crucial point that the law did not simply react to external shocks, but was capable of developing from within, responding to the needs of a fast-changing and increasingly litigious society. Further, it questions the notion that royal justice underwent a crisis in the fourteenth century and offers new insights into the power structure and political culture of the reigns of Edward II, Edward III, and Richard II.
This book aims to provide a lucid and approachable reassessment of the various political, economic and social pressures on the development of English justice in the fourteenth century. It suggests the best ways by which readers can understand the different historical debates and schools of thought. It stresses the crucial point that the law did not simply react to external shocks, but was capable of developing from within, responding to the needs of a fast-changing and increasingly litigious society. Further, it questions the notion that royal justice underwent a crisis in the fourteenth century and offers new insights into the power structure and political culture of the reigns of Edward II, Edward III, and Richard II.