Old Bailey, The : Eight Centuries of Crime, Cruelty and Corruption
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Compelling curiosities, horrific brutality, and cases of routine corruption are to be found in the history of London's Central Criminal Court--better known as the Old Bailey. Theresa Murphy sets the flaws of the modern British criminal-justice system in the context of Old Bailey history through a fascinating collection of historical anecdotes and outlines of more recent cases. More descriptive than analytical, The Old Bailey attains a grisly, chamber-of-horrors sort of appeal in its coverage of gruesome events. It can also be highly entertaining in its lighter, less macabre passages. Murphy provides sparks of contention as her criticisms of the system's continued flaws occasionally pierce the historical narrative. The courts in which judges are nurtured, she states, are "narrow and hardening"; even now, they are places of "ludicrous ill-fitting wigs" and "archaic language peppered with hypocrisy." She illustrates how today, as in the past, a high degree of power rests in the hands of judges, ensuring that "anomalies in sentencing must be expected and accepted." Posing questions rather than providing answers, this book should appeal not only to those who relish the more unsavory elements of social history, but also to anyone interested in pondering the development and current state of Britain's judicial system. --Karen Tiley, Amazon.co.uk
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
Old Bailey, The : Eight Centuries of Crime, Cruelty and Corruption,Theresa Murphy,Mainstream Publishing,184018762X,Criminal Law - General,Europe - Great Britain - General,General,History,History - General History,History: World,British Isles,CRIMINAL JUSTICE, ADMINISTRATION OF,Crime & criminology,England,English legal system: courts & procedure,GREAT BRITAIN_HISTORY,History / General,Law / General,Social history
English Books:
Recommended Books