Synopsis
A first-rate account of the jury - from its genesis to the present day - including post-Criminal Justice Act 2003.
This book deals with all the great
political and legal landmarks and shows how the jury developed - and survived to become a
key democratic institution capable of resisting monarchs, governments and sometimes plain law.
Linking past and present,
John Hostettler conveys the unique nature of the jury, and its central role in the administration of justice - but above all its importance as 'a thing of the people' and a barrier to manipulation and abuse of power.
The Criminal Jury Old and New is a text that will be of interest to practitioners, collectors, students, researchers, libraries and colleges alike.
Reviews
'This book makes a valuable contribution to the subject of the jury and is recommended to any new law student. As for those already qualified, it presents the arguments well. However you may see it from your own personal point of view, are you Prosecution or Defence? The English jury over the centuries is an interesting subject and this book has brought it alive':
Internet Law Book Reviews'This book not only addresses the variation in the form and function of the jury, but also provides an insightful analysis of...criminal procedure and the trial system in general':
Scolag Legal Journal'This book is not only informative but uplifting. By the end one realises that we do not just live in a democracy, but largely thanks to the existence if independently-minded juries, we live in a liberal democracy':
Justice of the PeaceAuthor
John Hostettler is a solicitor and legal historian whose biographical works included those on Sir Matthew Hale, Sir James Fitzjames Stephen and Lord Halsbury. He has written widely for the legal press and is a regular contributor to Justice of the Peace. His existing books for Waterside Press are
Famous Cases and
Hanging in the Balance (both with Brian P Block).
