Episode Six: Medieval England and the Birth of the Common Law, Part II

In Episode Six, Part II, on the birth of the Common Law in Medieval England, we will discuss the origins, legal significance, and enduring legacy of "Magna Charta." In addition, we will examine the abolition of the "ordeals" as the principle method of determining the guilt or innocence of those accused of major crimes, the effect on legal procedure, and the changing role of the jury in wake of their abolition. We will also look at civil justice, and the birth, growth, proliferation, and importance of the "writ system."