The Criminal Code, Simple Larceny, Robbery, Stolen Goods, Fraud,.

London: George Eyre & Andrew Strahan. 2 vols in 3. The Basis of Peel's Acts [Hammond, Anthony (1758-1838)]. The Criminal Code. Simple Larceny, Robbery, Stolen Goods, Fraud, Mischief, Restitution, and Compensation. London: Printed by George Eyre and Andrew Strahan, 1828-1829. Two volumes in three books. [iv], 488; xlii, [489]-749; lxxiv, [750]-1038, ciii pp. Folio (13" x 8-1/2"; 33 x 21.6 cm). Contemporary pebbled cloth, later rebackings, gilt library name to front boards, gilt library insignia to rear boards, Books 1 and 2 have gilt fillets and title to quarter-calf spine, Book 3 has a textured cloth spine with blind fillets and gilt title, volume number, library name and publication date, all hinges mended, untrimmed edges. Light rubbing and a few stains to boards, moderate rubbing to board edges, corners bumped and somewhat worn, front hinge of Book 3 starting, small shelf labels to front pastedowns. Moderate toning to interior, light foxing and soiling in a few places, library stamps to title pages and a few other leaves. $750. * Only edition. Hammond, a barrister and legal reformer, was commissioned by Parliament, under the sponsorship of Home Secretary Sir Robert Peel [1788-1850], to propose a code of English criminal law. Between 1823 and 1829 he produced a series of six codes under the general title The Criminal Code. Although they weren't adopted, they formed the basis of Peel's Acts, the first substantial reform of English criminal law. In turn, Peel's Acts paved the way for the Criminal Law Consolidation Acts 1861. Printed in limited numbers for Parliament, the courts and select members of the legal community, copies of these codes are scarce today. OCLC locates 4 copies of the volumes offered here in North American law libraries (Columbia, Harvard, Social Law, UC-Berkeley). Sweet & Maxwell, A Legal Bibliography of the British Commonwealth 2:153.…