Ebook: Law, Liberty and the Constitution

Throughout English history the rule of law and the preservation of liberty have been inseparable, and both are intrinsic to England's constitution. This accessible and entertaining history traces thegrowth of the law from its beginnings in Anglo-Saxon times to the present day. It shows how the law evolved from a means of ensuring order and limiting feuds to become a supremely sophisticated dispenser of justice and the primary guardian of civil liberties. This development owed much to the English kings and their judiciary, who, in the twelfth century, forged a unified system of law - predatingt.;Cover; Title; Contents; List of Illustrations; Abbreviations; Introduction; Part I Laying Down the Law: 600-1500; 1 The Promulgation of the Law in Anglo-Saxon England; 2 The Enforcement of the Law in Anglo-Saxon England; 3 A Norman Yoke?; 4 Henry II and the Creation of the Common Law; 5 Becket and Criminous Clergy; 6 The Achievement of Henry II; 7 Magna Carta; 8 From Ordeal to Jury; 9 Legal Eagles; Part II Conflict of Laws: 1500-1766; 10 The King's Conscience, the Lord Chancellor's Foot; 11 Star Chamber: Keeping England in Quiet; 12 Torture; 13 The Writ and Charter of Liberty.