COTTU, Charles.
On the administration of criminal justice in England; and the spirit of English government... translated from the French.
London: for Richard Stevens and Charles Reader, 1822.
8vo (215 × 130 mm.), pp. xii, 213. Contemporary polished calf, sides with borders in gilt and blind, panelled spine, green morocco label (possibly replaced to style). A handsome copy.
First complete edition in English (a much abbreviated version had appeared in the Pamphleteer in 1821). An important sympathetic account of the English system of criminal law, especially trial by jury. In 1821, Cottu, a French magistrate and founder of the Societé de l'Amèlioration de Prisons, was commissioned by the French government to study English criminal justice. The resulting work was not only an attempt to reform the "barbarous" French system but was also an expert first-hand account of English justice. It was widely read and translated.
£400.00
US$795.16*
* Given as a guide only. Based on an exchange rate of £1 = US$1.987896 for the day 5 July 2008 but liable to fluctuate.
5 July 2008