Law and Social Inquiry offers you the opportunity to explore the intersection between law and the social sciences and – with expert support and...

The study of legal history also provides a means of placing contemporary law into a broader context. Important concepts with which modern lawyers still grapple...

The study of legal history also provides a means of placing contemporary law into a broader context. Important concepts with which modern lawyers still grapple emerged at particular times and for particular reasons, giving you a valuable wider perspective. Comments from students in recent years include:

• ‘this class has been the best I've taken throughout my time at UCL, although at times difficult it was invaluable to helping me in all my other classes I took, and I truly feel like I understand English law better now. Honestly it made me understand the reason (or lack thereof!) behind the legal rules in English law’

• ‘History of English Law was my favourite module this year, and possibly the one which I find myself most often thinking about day-to-day as I encounter other legal matters. I enjoy that moment of realising “Ah, so this might be why we do X in this way….”’

The module covers English legal institutions and aspects of the substantive law of obligations, property and crime, principally from around 1150 until 1900. This module is introductory and relatively little knowledge of broader English history is required (relevant historical information is found in the reading).

Legal history scholarship is a lively field of study and you are expected to be familiar with academic debates related to the subject matter of the module. These debates cover both what happened and, crucially, why something happened. By the end of the module you should be able to consider both of these issues in relation to the topics studied.

Module Materials are varied. The only books to which reference will be made throughout the module are:

• J.H. Baker, An Introduction to English Legal History 5th ed. (2019, OUP), and

• S.F.C. Milsom, Historical Foundations of the Common Law 2nd ed. (1981, Butterworths)