The Life of the Law: The People and Cases That Have Shaped Our Society, from King Alfred to Rodney Ki ng

by Alfred Knight

In witty, engaging essays for a wide-reading audience, distinguished attorney Alfred Knight reveals the nature of the law as a constantly evolving tradition, and recounts the particulars of some 20 cases, from King Alfred to Rodney King, that have made the law what it is today.

278 pages, Hardcover

First published April 30, 1996

Reviews

[Text Addict · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent overview of the historical origins and development of several aspects of Anglo-American law generally, such as the right to counsel and adherence to precedent, and also of civil rights law (little things like the 5th amendment (against self-incrimination) and the 4th amendment (against unreasonable searches and seizures)). It was published in the late 1990s, so it's a bit out of date with respect to the 4th amendment especially, but it's an excellent start.

Knight chose the title specifically because he wanted to show how mutable the law really is, and how much of it is actually based on agreement among authorities and the public on what it ought to be. The Magna Charta, for example, doesn't actually say what everybody now says it says - but a huge proportion of our notions about civil liberties are still based on it all the same. Quite fascinating.

Definitely an accessible and interesting introduction to legal history for the general reader. Much more accessible, in fact, than the dry-as-dust textbook on Anglo-American law that I had to read for my course on it [mumblemumble] years ago! A worthy addition to my personal library.