Prosecuting Crime in the Renaissance. England Germany France

Book Description

2005. Langbein, John H. Prosecuting Crime in the Renaissance: England, Germany, France. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1974. ix, 321 pp. Illustrations. Reprinted 2005 by The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd. ISBN 9781584775775 Hardcover. New. * Our present system of criminal prosecution originated in England in the sixteenth century. Langbein traces its development, which was at its most intense during the reign of Queen Mary. He shows how the common law developed a system of official investigation and prosecution that incorporated the medieval institution of the jury trial. He places equal emphasis on the role of the justices of the peace as public prosecutors. The second half of the book compares the English system with those of the Holy Roman Empire (Germany) and France. He concludes by refuting the popular opinion that the English were strongly indebted to continental models. This work was awarded Cambridge University's Yorke Prize.

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