Murder, Mystery, and British Legal History

Undergraduate

This seminar focuses on the emergence of murder, not just as an act of violence, but a question of public concern in Britain and its empire from the 18th to the 20th century. Drawing on trial records, scientific papers, press coverage, legislation and detective fiction the seminar has three aims. First, to introduce students to the legal history of the crime of homicide in Britain and its colonies and to trace the evolution of detection, forensics, the legal profession and ideas of responsibility. Secondly, to use murder investigations as focal points to understand urban, social and economic history, the relationship with race, class and gender, industrialization, immigration and democratic publics. Finally, the seminar challenges the separation of Britain and it’s empire in legal history, by tracing how developments in one part, shaped legislations, judicial precedents and forensic techniques in others. The seminar also introduces students to a range of historical approaches and teaches them to discover and interpret diverse primary sources, judgements, crime scene reports, coroner’s notes, popular print etc WR , HU M 1:30pm-3:25pm