The Unwritten Law Criminal Justice in Victorian Kent [Hardcover]

The Unwritten Lawexamines the values and assumptions of mid-Victorian England as revealed in the actual workings of the criminal justice system. The working definitions of criminality and justice were often influenced more by certain tacit assumptions than by the written law. Through a careful study of the ways that the status and circumstances of victims and suspects influenced judicial decisions, Conley provides important new insights into Victorian attitudes toward violence, women, children, community, and the all-important concept of respectability. She also addresses issues that continue to be of concern in today's society: How can equal justice be preserved when social and economic conditions and expectations are not equal? How can the rights of the accused be reconciled with those of victims--especially children? Can and should the courts interfere with the traditions of family and community? What standards can determine the criminality of a particular act and the justice and efficacy of punishment? This original analysis will hold special interest for students and scholars of British history, social history, and criminality and the law.

This is a welcome addition to the literature on the nature of crime and criminal justice in England. --Journal of Modern History

A valuable contribution to Victorian social history....Provides a rich resource for other more specialized historical studies, while offering a fascinating mosaic of late-Victorian society. --American Historical Review

With a fascinating array of cases to illustrate her argument...Conley's volume abounds in revealing insights. --Journal of Social History

A valuable contribution to this field. --Victorian Studies

A useful addition to the growing literature on local crime and police studies. Conley has provided an interesting and balanced treatment of her subject. --CHOICE

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