The English legal system

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AS Law - Assignment 1

The English legal system originates from Norman law and is a common law system. When William the Conqueror succeeded the English throne in 1066 (Battle of Hastings), he discovered that England possessed no 'common law' that applied to the whole of the country. In fact, what was in place consisted of 'customary rules' which varied from region to region, with a legal system that comprised of many local courts. William immediately began to establish a strong central government as well as concentrating on standardizing the existing law, from which he used customary laws as a foundation for the new 'common law'. William slowly gained control of the country through the use of subtle tactics and formed the King's Justice which meant that any landholder could apply directly to him in order to settle a dispute or if he was unable to get redress from his Lord. This idea became known as the King's Justice (which was available to all citizens irrespective of where they lived), and was administered by the Curia Regis (King's Court) - a body of advisers to the king. The Curia Regis would employ a system of rules to the whole