UK Legal History
Early Modern Legal History (1485-1688)
Introduction The early modern period from the accession of the Tudor dynasty in 1485 to the Glorious Revolution of 1688 was a period of profound transformation in English law. The period saw the …
Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century Legal History
Introduction The eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were a period of significant legal development and reform in England. The period saw the publication of Blackstone’s Commentaries, the …
Magna Carta: The Great Charter of English Liberty
The Historical Context: King John and the Baronial Rebellion Magna Carta was born from a crisis of royal misgovernment. King John’s reign (1199–1216) was marked by military catastrophe, fiscal …
Medieval English Legal History (1066-1485)
Introduction The medieval period from the Norman Conquest in 1066 to the end of the Wars of the Roses in 1485 saw the emergence of the common law as a unified legal system for the whole of England. …
The Development of the Common Law System
The Origins of the Common Law: Henry II and the Assize of Clarendon The common law of England — the system of judge-made law that would eventually spread to much of the English-speaking world — …
The Glorious Revolution and the Constitutional Settlement of 1688–1701
The Overthrow of James II The Glorious Revolution of 1688–1689 was the decisive constitutional event in English history, establishing the framework of the modern British state. James II, who succeeded …
The Reform Acts and Parliamentary Sovereignty
The Unreformed Parliament Before the reforms of the nineteenth century, the British Parliament was a profoundly unrepresentative institution. The House of Commons, in theory the representative …
Twentieth Century Legal History
Introduction The twentieth century saw transformative changes to the UK legal system. The establishment of the welfare state after 1945 led to a vast expansion of administrative law. UK membership of …