The Beginnings of the Common Law in England

Although there was certainly "law" and "law books" in other countries, and indeed even England throughout history, it was the gradual introduction of what is called the common law that gave rise to a great increase in the number of law books, necessitating the development of dedicated law libraries. Prior to the Norman invasion of England in 1066, the law was based on local customs, and local lords and leaders would settle disputes based on their own version of right and wrong.

A system developed whereby the people of England could petition the Norman kings to hear their injustices as they traveled around the country. Often these petitions involved pleading to the Kings about unfair treatment they had received in matters heard by their local officials. Due to the sheer number of these pleadings, the kings had trusted advisers who would decide these cases. In order to maintain consistency across the entire country a body of rulings was gradually built up, and the decision makers would consult these rulings. This method of consulting precedents, and the precedents themselves, became essentially the first "law libraries", and the beginnings of the common law.


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Research notes:

All a bit of a far stretch I know.. I have read this history in many books though and so had always intended to argue that the common law, and the different "judges" who held these collections, were the first (at least in "our" system I know) the first law libraries..

Laying down the law / Cook etc.