The Prince and the Law, 1200-1600 by Kenneth Pennington, Hardcover, 9780520079953 | Buy online at The Nile
Departments
 Free Returns*

The Prince and the Law, 1200-1600

Sovereignty and Rights in the Western Legal Tradition

Author: Kenneth Pennington   Series: Centennial Book

Hardcover

The power of the prince versus the rights of his subjects is one of the basic struggles in the history of law and government. This study of the history of monarchy, conceptions of law and due process addresses that struggle and uncovers new vistas in the study of Western legal tradition.

Read more
New
$105.59
Or pay later with
Check delivery options
Hardcover

PRODUCT INFORMATION

Summary

The power of the prince versus the rights of his subjects is one of the basic struggles in the history of law and government. This study of the history of monarchy, conceptions of law and due process addresses that struggle and uncovers new vistas in the study of Western legal tradition.

Read more

Description

The power of the prince versus the rights of his subjects is one of the basic struggles in the history of law and government. In this masterful history of monarchy, conceptions of law, and due process, Kenneth Pennington addresses that struggle and opens an entirely new vista in the study of Western legal tradition.

Pennington investigates legal interpretations of the monarch's power from the twelfth to the seventeenth century. Then, tracing the evolution of defendants' rights, he demonstrates that the origins of due process are not rooted in English common law as is generally assumed. It was not a sturdy Anglo-Saxon, but, most probably, a French jurist of the late thirteenth century who wrote, "A man is innocent until proven guilty."

This is the first book to examine in detail the origins of our concept of due process. It also reveals a fascinating paradox: while a theory of individual rights was evolving, so, too, was the concept of the prince's "absolute power." Pennington illuminates this paradox with a clarity that will greatly interest students of political theory as well as legal historians.

Read more

About the Author

Kenneth Pennington is Professor of History and Law at Syracuse University. Among his previous books is Popes and Bishops: The Papal Monarchy in the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries (1984).

Read more

More on this Book

The power of the prince versus the rights of his subjects is one of the basic struggles in the history of law and government. In this masterful history of monarchy, conceptions of law, and due process, Kenneth Pennington addresses that struggle and opens an entirely new vista in the study of Western legal tradition. Pennington investigates legal interpretations of the monarch's power from the twelfth to the seventeenth century. Then, tracing the evolution of defendants' rights, he demonstrates that the origins of due process are not rooted in English common law as is generally assumed. It was not a sturdy Anglo-Saxon, but, most probably, a French jurist of the late thirteenth century who wrote, "A man is innocent until proven guilty." This is the first book to examine in detail the origins of our concept of due process. It also reveals a fascinating paradox: while a theory of individual rights was evolving, so, too, was the concept of the prince's "absolute power." Pennington illuminates this paradox with a clarity that will greatly interest students of political theory as well as legal historians.

Read more

Product Details

Publisher
University of California Press
Published
3rd June 1993
Pages
352
ISBN
9780520079953

Returns

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.

New
$105.59
Or pay later with
Check delivery options