Legal History

These are short articles and notes I have written about English legal history and related subjects. Several have been published in Bar publications, though I have edited and shortened some a bit and given new introductions to one or two.

GENERAL LEGAL HISTORY

The Origin of Law

On the Origin of Lawyers

Early English Legal Records

The Language of the Law

Signing and Sealing

Reading and Writing

The Problem of Dates

A Note on Notaries

Medieval Roman Law

Banishment

Oyez!

COMMON LAW: CIVIL

What Does “Praecipe” Mean?

Praecipe II: Subpoena

Praecipe III: Judges and Lawyers

Trespass: The Origin of Everything

What Was the Corpus Juris?

Interrogatories and Depositions on Written Questions

What Was The Magna Carta?

COMMON LAW: CRIMINAL

The Development of Criminal Law

What Was An Outlaw?

Felony

Criminal Prosecution circa 1200