Inside the kingdom, life was organized for the benefit of the common man, with security of person and property, and continuance of family at the root. As under any system of governance, disputes were not uncommon and were settled immediately and equitably by twelve other common men, peers of the disputants. Settlements became law. Monarchical excess required occasional regulation by Parliament, with continued security at the core. Recalcitrants were transported to America or Australia for seven years, where they would either rehabilitate themselves or die.
This system worked great, with only a few bits of corruption, and we copied it in America when we decided to set up our own government, with our own Constitution, and an occasional Amendment to address a few irregular bits of corruption. We dispensed with the monarch, as the source of much corruption. Law students at Harvard were taught for years the Mosaic Law of the Bible, and the Common Law of Blackstone. As measured by almost any economic indicator, with these improvements, America has prospered. Our base has not been the Wealth of Kings, but the self- evident truth of the right of all men to the equality of opportunity.
I picked up this book as an aid to preparing a case for jury trial. We have a dilemma to work through, and Blackstone’s supplies a wealth of knowledge and guidance. My copy is heavily highlighted, in yellow (important), blue (economic), orange (cautionary), red (enforcement). In fact I have more highlights than white space. Information from the book is best worked along with the most current American Rules of Court Procedure, both Civil and Criminal, and possibly with Bankruptcy Rules for the economic issues, and naturally the Local Court Rules. It’s now available electronically, which is another great advantage in sorting through the 2300+ pages, and reference links. In short, I view it as indispensable.