LAWS 1000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Gracechurch Street, Selective Enforcement
Document Summary
Laws permit social intercourse by setting guidelines for both individual and group behavior. Laws must be general enough to govern various situations. To apply relevant fixed rules of the law to conflicts. To resolve situations in a way morally accepted by the community. Juries may consider peculiar equalities" of each case. Case involving 2 quakers charged with unlawful assembly. Jury refused and however charged men with speaking to assembly in. Gracechurch street : judge charged jury until they would return with a verdict that the court would accept, returned with verdict of not guilty, the judge found the jury in contempt of court and removed them to prison. Edward bushel, a member of the jury, nonetheless refused to pay the fine. Judge found: jury could not be punished for verdict, even if decision contrary to law, individual jurors could be punished for improper actions. Williams (aboriginal man) pleaded not guilty to charges of robbery.
