Colonial Justice: Justice, Morality, and Crime in the Niagara District, 1791-1849 Contributor(s): Murray, David (Author) |
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ISBN: 0802086888 ISBN-13: 9780802086884 Publisher: University of Toronto Press OUR PRICE: $47.45 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: December 2002 Annotation: In 1791, when the Constitutional Act created a legislative assembly for Upper Canada, the colonists and their British rulers decreed that the operating criminal justice system in the area be adopted from England, to avoid any undue influence from the nearby United States. In this study of early Canadian law, David Murray delves into the court records of the Niagara District, one of the richest sets of criminal court records surviving from Upper Canada, to analyse the criminal justice system in the district during the first half of the nineteenth century. Murray explores how local characteristics affected the operation of a criminal justice system transplanted from England. In addition to examining the roles of the Niagara magistrates, constables, and juries, he analyses how legal processes affected Upper Canadian morality, the treatment of the insane, social welfare, and views on crime committed in the district. Integrating the stories of the individuals caught up in the legal system, Murray explores law from a local perspective, and illustrates how the Niagara region's criminal justice system operated under influences from both Britain and the United States. |
Additional Information |
BISAC Categories: - History | Canada - Pre-confederation (to 1867) - Law | Legal History - Social Science | Criminology |
Dewey: 364.09 |
Series: Osgoode Society for Canadian Legal History |
Physical Information: 0.88" H x 5.98" W x 8.96" (1.01 lbs) 298 pages |
Themes: - Cultural Region - Canadian |
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
Publisher Description: In 1791 when the Constitutional Act created a legislative assembly for Upper Canada, the colonists and their British rulers decreed that the operating criminal justice system in the area be adopted from England, to avoid any undue influence from the nearby United States. In this new study of early Canadian law, David Murray has delved into the court records of the Niagara District, one of the richest sets of criminal court records surviving from Upper Canada, to analyze the criminal justice system in the district during the first half of the nineteenth century. Murray explores how far local characteristics affected the operation of a criminal justice system transplanted from England; his analysis includes how legal processes affected Upper Canadian morality, the treatment of the insane, welfare cases, crimes committed in the district, and an examination of the roles of the Niagara magistrates, constables, and juries. Murray concludes by arguing that while the principles and culture of British justice were firmly implanted in the Niagara district, this did not prevent justice from being unequal, especially for women and visible minorities. Integrating the stories of the individuals caught up in the legal system, Murray explores law from a local perspective, and illuminates how the Niagara region's criminal justice system operated under hybrid influences from both Britain and the United States. |
Contributor Bio(s): Murray, David: - David Murray is a University Professor Emeritus in the Department of History at the University of Guelph. |