Hale Sir Matthew Editor (1 results)

First Edition. 2 vols. ISBN-13: 9781584772828. The Foundation of English Criminal Law: Sir Matthew Hale's Masterpiece on the Pleas of the Crown Hale, Sir Matthew. Historia Placitorum Coronae. The History of the Pleas of the Crown. Now First Published from his Lordship's Original Manuscript, and the Several References to the Records Examined by the Originals, with Large Notes. By Sollom Emlyn of Lincoln's Inn, Esq. To which is added a Table of the Principle Matters. Originally published: [London]: Printed by E. and R. Nutt and R. Gosling, 1736. 2 Volumes. [iv], xxviii, 710; [vi], 414, [415-620] pp. Reprinted 2016 by The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd. ISBN-13: 9781584772828; ISBN-10: 1584772824. Hardcover. New. $125. Originally published in 1736, this work is the first comprehensive history of English criminal law. Although Hale intended a three-book series, he completed only the first, providing an exhaustive analysis of capital offenses, including treasons and felonies. This edition is a high-quality reprint of the first edition, featuring the original manuscript's references and extensive scholarly notes by Sollom Emlyn. Hale's treatise is celebrated for establishing the first systematic legal framework for mental incapacity. He introduced the critical distinction between "total insanity"-which excused criminal liability-and "partial insanity," such as "melancholy distempers." To guide the courts, Hale proposed the "fourteen-year-old" standard: a defendant was held responsible only if they possessed the cognitive understanding of an ordinary child of that age. These principles directly informed the development of the M'Naghten Rules and modern criminal jurisprudence. Sir Matthew Hale (1609-1676) was a towering figure of 17th-century law. A student of John Selden at Lincoln's Inn, Hale served as Chief Baron of the Exchequer and Chief Justice of the King's Bench. His meticulous scholarship laid the groundwork for future giants of the law, including William Blackstone. Sollom Emlyn (1697-1754), Irish legal reformer and prolific legal writer.