StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Cokes Contribution to Common Law - Essay Example

Summary
The paper "Cokes Contribution to Common Law " states that the 16th century witnessed numerous developments in all areas of private law. Hence much interpretation and translation were required to reconcile the medieval and the modern components of private law…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER91.8% of users find it useful
Cokes Contribution to Common Law
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Cokes Contribution to Common Law"

Introduction Generally, research on the life and works of Lord Chief Justice Sir Edward Coke has highlighted rhetoric, controversy, and disputes. They give emphasis on fierce orations in court, tense altercations with King James I, and nationalistic speeches on the house of the Commons. He should also be viewed as an icon in a particular cultural setting. With his declarations that the common law was predetermined and perpetual, and of the same status with the civil law of the land, he was one of the Elizabethans who greatly contributed to the formation and growth of an English kingdom. Based on the Elizabethan era are Coke’s description of law as the judges’ shared knowledge, a perspective which supports his judgment in Bonham’s Case, and his professional capacity to re-evaluate the historical background of the common law, which allowed him to transform medieval England’s law into principles tailored to a growing economy and evolving society. This research report critically assesses the background biography of Lord Chief Justice Sir Edward Coke. More particularly, this paper focuses on the following topics: his contribution to common law; his influence to law in England; and, his decisions to cases and law and his quotes. Sir Edward Coke was a highly regarded member of the English privileged class, and for two hundred years after his demise, his works wielded great influence on English law. He was not able to take over English politics, but he successfully became the most prominent personality of the Elizabethan and Stuart eras due to his flexibility, his remarkable ability to thrive, and his strong impact on his colleagues and on succeeding generations. Coke was dynamically involved in the legal system for more than four decades. He worked in all parliaments that existed between 1589 and 1628 either as a counsel to the Lords or an associate of the Commons. He also took part in the fragmented political environment of the Elizabethan and Stuart eras while amassing wealth that became the object of resentment of his colleagues. Ultimately, in the concluding phases of the Elizabethan period, he started publishing a variety of legal writings that showed a broad understanding of past English legal references and an unmatched capacity to consolidate the multiple components of English common law; and, alongside his extensive legal experience and his politically powerful status, they finally recognised him as the most important legal expert of his time. None of his opponents and colleagues, except for Bacon, equalled his success in a broad array of literary, political, and legal endeavours. And none wielded such a strong impact on the later progress of English law. Coke’s Contribution to Common Law Sir Edward Coke fervently defended the Common Law. As chief justice of the King’s Bench in the 17th century, Coke explained the duty of the courts and the common law in regulating political authority. On the 13th of November 1608, in reaction to the declaration of the king that he could resolve legal cases on his own, Coke argued that “the King in his own person cannot adjudge any case... but that this ought to be determined and adjudged in some Court of Justice, according to the law and custom of England.” James I was severely frustrated and enraged that a senior barrister considered the common law superior to the king. James warned Coke. But the chief justice remained undaunted. He kept on declaring that Common Law was superior to the king’s discretion. Coke, in Bonham’s Case, emphasised that “It appears in our books, that… when an Act of Parliament is against common right and reason… the common law will control it, and adjudge such Act to be void.” He further claims that the Common Law was ‘beyond definition’, and with ‘an infinity of sources and guises.’ Common Law was basically long-established customs. Coke viewed these customs as fundamentally fixed or predetermined. It was understood that Parliament may modify problematic customs, but a number of common lawyers believed that even parliamentary measures must be disregarded by judges if it challenged custom on important matters. Common law was superior to the law because various English generations had discovered it valuable. In addition, common law was basically based on reason. Its guardians claimed that common law represented fundamentally rational judgments. Given that common law merged reason and custom, particular guidance was required to make sense of its dictums or premises, what Coke referred to as ‘artificial reason’: Then the king said that he thought the law was founded upon reason, and that he and others had reason as well as the judges. To which it was answered by me that true it was that God had endowed His Majesty with excellent science and great endowments of nature; but His Majesty was not learned in the laws of his realm of England, and causes which concern the life or inheritance or goods or fortunes of his subjects are not to be decided by natural reason, but by the artificial reason and judgment of law—which law is an act which requires long study and experience, before that a man can attain to the cognizance of it. Common law was deemed ‘timeless’. Coke also asserted that common law formed a basis for citizenship, property, and individual rights, alongside royal authority and parliamentary ruling. Such historical pattern of judges’ resolutions, together with important legal texts like the Magna Carta, represented a shared knowledge higher than any individual reasoning. This principle in effect place the rule of law above royal power. This infuriated King James I, who took away the chief justice position of Coke in 1616. Nevertheless, Coke’s argument about the common law tradition and the restrictions on royal authority by Parliament were cited by the British parliament against the monarchy in the 1640s and 1680s. Coke’s consideration for previous judgments in English common law became the foundation for the constitutional law of the United States, which looks at earlier court resolutions when dealing with new cases. Coke extolled the common law as the outcome of extensive experience and knowledge as accumulated over time: If all the reason that is dispersed into so many several heads were united into one, yet he could not make such a law as the Law of England is, because by many succession of ages it has been fined and refined by an infinite number of grave and learned men, and by long experience grown to such a perfection. Coke believes that the foundations of the common law were ‘beyond the memory or register of any beginning’. In clarifying this, it should be remembered that Coke was writing as a lawyer, not as an historian. Coke’s objective in the preambles was not only to extol the English law, but to establish that the common law had lived on unchanged by any conqueror. In proving this, he made use of historical proofs to support his arguments, rather than to confirm historical knowledge. Hence, Coke aimed to establish his argument that the common law lived before the conquest by verifying whether instances of the application of four common law principles may be uncovered from that period. By confirming these specific arguments, he thought he would gain substantiation for his bigger proposition. However, the arguments of Coke were not simply those of an apologist who concealed his fundamentally evolutionary perception of law to advance political arguments. He did believe that there were ground rules which were fixed. The earliest common law was the “birth-right and the most ancient and best inheritance” which the people had. It was the law that guaranteed their pleasure, their lives, and certainly their society. According to Coke: For any fundamental point of the ancient common laws and customs of the realm, it is a maxim in policy, and a trial by experience, that the alteration of any of them is most dangerous; for that which hath been refined and perfected by all the wisest men in former succession of ages and proved and approved by continual experience to be good and profitable for the common wealth, cannot without great hazard and danger be altered or changed. He obviously did not view the law as unchanging. In fact, he portrayed his collection of appeals in his Book of Entries as a “greater authority and use, and fitter for the modern practice of the law,” for they were new. Coke did not view the common law as a collection of policies which may be described, or a collection of traditions which may be defined. He argued that the law was the professional wisdom of lawyers. Coke’s Influence on English Law The influence of Coke on the law of England is evident upon the form of law, upon private law, upon constitutional and criminal law, and upon commercial law. The 16th century had witnessed numerous developments in all areas of private law. Hence much interpretation and translation was required to reconcile the medieval and the modern components of private law. The way Coke initiated this task of adaptation and translation can be described along these lines. First, he worked out from the strewn and largely incoherent maxims in the Year Books rules of law consistent with the rules specified by the modern documents; and he carried out his task expertly that succeeding lawyers were glad to recognise his interpretations of the Year Books. Read More

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Cokes Contribution to Common Law

Common Core and Property Law

This essay "Common Core and Property law" focuses on evaluating Angelina's share in the property owned jointly with her husband.... Under the provisions of the law of Property Act 1925, beneficial owners can obtain a court order for putting the trust into effect and directing the sale of the property and thereafter division of the sale proceeds.... 9 In the UK common ownership of property is not transferred automatically between the parties to a marriage....
10 Pages (2500 words) Essay

Lord Chief Justice Sir Edward Coke: The Greatest Defender of the Common Law

More particularly, this paper focuses on the following topics: his contribution to common law; his influence to law in England; and, his decisions to cases and law and his quotes.... oke's contribution to common law ... The paper 'Lord Chief Justice Sir Edward Coke: The Greatest Defender of the common law' is on the life and works of Lord Chief Justice Sir Edward Coke and has highlighted rhetoric, controversy, and disputes.... With his declarations that the common law was predetermined and perpetual, and of the same status with the civil law of the land, he was one of the Elizabethans who greatly contributed to the formation and growth of an English kingdom....
12 Pages (3000 words) Essay

Use of Jokes in English

5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

The Land and Property Act

ence, the burden of a covenant does not pass to the successor through title at common law.... Under common law, Hans cannot be provided the benefit of the covenant since he was not a party to the original contract.... Acting in Hans' favor using a contract law position would signal a disregard for common law so Hans cannot be given an advantage.... lternatively, under the decision for P&A Swift Investments v Combined English Stores Group PLC, it was provided that a covenant may pass at common law in a case the covenant concerns the dominant land so as to benefit any successors and the covenantee personally....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

Role of Corporate Money in Political Process

Secondly, the law creates unfairness and favoritism in that there is an exchange of funds for favors.... Even though McCutcheon argues that he is only interested in contributing to lots of candidates, I conquer with the Obama administration which remarks that this striking down of individual limits contribution will create a greater upheaval in this vital area of law.... This undermines democracy because the candidates may not be given equal chances so that they can compete with the rest favorably (Tham, 10) even though this law seeks to restore accountability and transparency because the money is directed to individuals directly, it may come with a hidden agenda....
3 Pages (750 words) Essay

The Analysis of the Property Law on Land

The paper "The Analysis of the Property law on Land" explains that the case under study is Kernott v Jones which was before the English court in 2011.... The decision made in this case has cleared up the uncertainties in law with regard to family home trusts.... This court posited that in the event that it is impossible to ascertain a common intention concerning the method of division of interests in property, the court should employ discretionary jurisdiction to impute a considerably fair intention....
12 Pages (3000 words) Essay

Analysis of Equity and Trust Law Case

In this way, a partner who has assisted in reconstruction work on the property might be able to secure an interest in it despite the fact that they have made no monetary contribution to the property.... If David had made a contribution to the purchase price the court may find that a resulting trust has been created1.... "Analysis of Equity and Trust law Case" gives advice for Marcus and David of the rights in respect of the property and any financial provision that Marcus should make to David for the contributions he has made to the property it is necessary to look at the law surrounding cohabiting couples....
6 Pages (1500 words) Case Study

Common Law vs Civil Law

This essay "common law vs.... Civil Law" elaborates on the differences in the perception of the common law and civil law.... 14-15)According to Gary Slapper and David Kelly (2004), the usual distinction to be made between the two systems is that common law system tends to be case centered and hence judge-centred, allowing scope for a discretionary, ad hoc, pragmatic approach to the particular problems that appear before the courts, whereas civil law system tends to be a codified body of general abstract principles which control the exercise of judicial discretion....
6 Pages (1500 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us