Crime, Justice, and Discretion in England 1740-1820 [Paperback]

The criminal law has often been seen as central to the rule of the 18th century landed elite. Within detailed studies of every stage of the criminal process this volume explores key issues such as who used the law, for what purposes and with what effects It then challenges the view that the law was primarily the instrument of a small elite, portraying it instead as an arena of struggle, negotiation and compromise used by many different social groups. The criminal justice system may have sometimes been vulnerable to power but it was also useful in limiting it.

List of Figures and Maps
List of Tables
List of Abbreviations
1. Introduction
Part I: Pretrial Processes
2. Victims, Informal Negotiations, and Prosecution Options
3. Resources Available to Victims: Public Funding, Prosecution Associations, Print, and Policing
4. Magistrates and Summary Courts
Part II: Offences and Offenders
5. Patterns of Crime and Patterns of Deprivation
6. The Offenders: Property Crime and Life-Cycle Change
Part III: From Trial to Punishment
7. Trials, Verdicts, and Courtroom Interactions
8. Sentencing Policy and the Impact of Gender and Age
9. Pardoning Policies: The Good Mind and the Bad
10. Rituals of Punishment
11. Conclusion: Law and Social Relations 1740-1820
Index

Peter King has produced a stunning account of discretionary justice in the criminal process. The study is a wonderful blend of quantitative and qualitative analysis. This book is a stunning achievement. --he Law and Politics Book Review