The first systematic examination of the expectations people had of the law in the middle ages.

Walter Ullmann's contribution to the study of medieval political and legal thought needs no emphasis. In the present volume are collected a number of the early articles which it was not possible to include in his previous collections, together with others published since those volumes appeared. The articles display a striking consistency of approach, though in the more than forty years separating the earliest from the latest there is an obvious development in his thought. Ullman held the view that the law must be studied in its own historical context, as a function of society and a product of the factors which shaped social life; equally, he stressed the central position of the law in the study of medieval history, for its precise character meant that it could provide a more reliable probe into medieval beliefs and doctrine than any other form of evidence.

This book provides an accessible collection of translated legal sources through which the exploits of criminals and developments in the English criminal justice system (c.1215–1485) can be studied. Drawing on the wealth of archival material and an array of contemporary literary texts, it guides readers towards an understanding of prevailing notions of law and justice and expectations of the law and legal institutions. Tensions are shown emerging between theoretical ideals of justice and the practical realities of administering the law during an era profoundly affected by periodic bouts of war, political in-fighting, social dislocation and economic disaster. Introductions and notes provide both the specific and wider legal, social and political contexts in addition to offering an overview of the existing secondary literature and historiographical trends. This collection affords a valuable insight into the character of medieval governance as well as revealing the complex nexus of interests, attitudes and relationships prevailing in society during the later Middle Ages.

SigurðssonDisputes and How to Avoid Them - Custom and Charters in England During the Long 12th-Century - af Paul HyamsDispute, Procedure and Sanction - Some Remarks on Dispute Settlement in Swedish Medieval Laws - af Pia Letto-VanamoThe Use of Mediation and Arbitration in the Legal Revolution of 13th-Century Denmark - af Per AndersenThe Appellate Jurisdiction, the Emperor and the City - Republics in Early 13th-Century Northern Italy - af Gianluca RaccagniThe Practice of Legal Consulting and the Policy of Law in Late Medieval Dalmatia - af Nella LonzaInterdict, Conflict Resolution and the Competition for Power in the Episcopal Seigneuries of Laon and Reims (C. 1100) - af Frederik KeygnaertCompeting Institutions and Dispute Settlement in Medieval England - af Joshua C. TateChurch, State and Family in John Calvin?s Geneva - Domestic Disputes and Sex Crimes in Geneva?s Consistory and Council - af John Witte, Jr. Litigating Abroad - Merchant?s Expectations Regarding Procedure Before Foreign Courts According to the Hanseatic Privileges (12TH-16TH C.) - af Albrecht CordesContributors.

Rules and laws strictly governed people's lives in the Middle Ages. Failure to observe any law could lead to imprisonment, torture, or even death. Medieval Laws and Punishment details the laws that kept order, who was responsible for enforcing the law and carrying out punishments, and what would happen to people who took the law into their own hands.

Law | Book | Culture in the Middle Ages takes a detailed view on the role of manuscripts and the written word in legal cultures, spanning the medieval period across western and central Europe.

Legal history is the study of how law has evolved over time, and why it has evolved. Legal history parallels the development of civilisations, and is a component of social history. Legal historians record the evolution of laws and provide an analysis of how these laws evolved, so that the origins of various legal concepts can be better understood. Some consider legal history to be a branch of intellectual history. Twentieth century historians assess in a more contextualised manner, much like social historians, viewing legal institutions as complex systems of rules, participants and symbols that have interacted with society to promote changes in certain aspects of civil society.