Chapter 11
Legal
Simon Petch,
Jan-Melissa Schramm,
Simon Petch
Search for more papers by this authorJan-Melissa Schramm
Search for more papers by this authorSimon Petch,
Jan-Melissa Schramm,
Simon Petch
Search for more papers by this authorJan-Melissa Schramm
Search for more papers by this authorBook Editor(s):Herbert F. Tucker,
Herbert F. Tucker
Search for more papers by this authorFirst published: 14 February 2014
Summary
The nineteenth century saw widespread reform of both the legal profession and the laws of the nation. The middle decades of the nineteenth century witnessed intense competition among the various public discourses which sought to interrogate and understand criminal behavior. A clear example of what publishing authors could learn from the theater of the criminal courts emerges from the trial of William Palmer for murder in 1856. The legal system in Victorian England used, as it does today, the services of a divided profession: rights of audience in the higher Crown courts were restricted to barristers, who were instructed by solicitors, who in turn dealt directly with clients. The theory and philosophy of law in Victorian England were shaped by seven Englishmen: Bentham, Stephen, Austin, Sumner, Maine, Dicey, Pollock and Maitland. Female independence in Victorian literature is frequently signified by a woman's rejection of what is legally hers to inherit.
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