Crimes, Constables, and Courts: Order and Transgression in a Canadian City, 1816-1970 - Hardcover

Weaver, John C.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0773512748 ISBN 13: 9780773512740

Publisher: McGill-Queen's University Press, 1995

Synopsis

Using Hamilton, Ontario, as his model, Weaver makes extensive use of newspaper accounts and police, court, and jail records in a revealing exploration of individual crime cases and overall trends in crime. Tracing the origin and evolution of courts, juries, police, and punishments, Weaver takes into account various social and cultural issues. For example, he shows how increasing centralization and professionalization of the criminal justice system and police have deprived communities of input, and how the legal system continues to be male dominated and biased against newcomers, strangers, and marginalized social groups. Often critical of the "state," Weaver paints a sympathetic view of police constables, who play an ambiguous role in the community while being saddled with an expanding array of onerous duties. Crimes, Constables, and Courts is history at its best - informative, entertaining, and accessible with a lively human element woven throughout. "Truly outstanding." Rod C. Macleod, Department of History, University of Alberta.

About this title

About the Author:

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Review:

"A substantial, original contribution to legal and social history as well as historical criminology." Barry Wright, Department of Law, Carleton University.

About this edition

• Publisher: McGill-Queen's University Press
• Publication date: 1995
• ISBN 10: 0773512748
• ISBN 13: 9780773512740
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 352