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. Before the Norman Conquest, Anglo-Saxon England had a system of local customary law administered by local courts, with no centralised legal system. The Norman and Plantagenet monarchs established the institutions and procedures that would become the foundation of the common law tradition.

Henry II and the Assize of Clarendon

The reign of Henry II (1154-1189) was the most significant period in the development of the common law. The Assize of Clarendon (1166) established the system of jury trial and the circuit system, under which royal justices travelled the country to hear cases.

Magna Carta 1215

Magna Carta, sealed by King John at Runnymede in 1215, is the most famous document in English legal history. The charter established the principle that the king was subject to the law and guaranteed various legal rights.

The Year Books and Inns of Court

The Year Books (c. 1270-1535) were the earliest law reports, recording arguments of counsel and judgments of the courts. The Inns of Court emerged in the 13th and 14th centuries as the institutions for legal education.