The Birth of the English Common Law

ThisbookprovidesachallenginginterpretationoftheemergenceofthecommonlawinAnglo-NormanEngland,againstthebackgroundofthegeneraldevelopmentoflegalinstitutionsinEurope.Inadetaileddiscussionoftheemergenceofthecentralcourtsandthecommonlawtheyadministered,theauthortracestheriseofthewritsystemandthegrowthofthejurysystemintwelfth-centuryEngland.ProfessorvanCaenegemattemptstoexplainwhyEnglishlawissodifferentfromthatontheContinentandwhythisdivergencebeganinthetwelfthcentury,arguingthatchanceandchronologicalaccidentplayedthemajorpartandledtotheparadoxofafeudallawofcontinentaloriginbecomingoneofthemosttypicalmanifestationsofEnglishlifeandthought.Firstpublishedin1973,TheBirthoftheEnglishCommonLawhascometoenjoyclassicalstatus,andinaprefaceProfessorvanCaenegemdiscussessomerecentdevelopmentsinthestudyofEnglishlawundertheNormanandearliestAngevinkings.