The Criminal Trial in Later Medieval England

This richly detailed study examines the English criminal trial and the nature and scope of the most prevalent felonies during the period c. 1300-1550. There is particular emphasis on the accusation process (studied in depth here for the first time, showing how it was, in effect, a trial within a trial); the discovery of a veritable revolution in conviction rates between the early fifteenth century and the later sixteenth (why this revolution occurred is explained in detail); the nature and scope of the most prevalent types of felony in the period; and the startling contrast between the conviction rate and the frequency of actual punishment.