SOSC 2350 Chapter : Elites and the Creation of Criminal Law.docx
17 Dec 2013
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Criminal law dictated by elites through: direct involvement in law making process, influence and control of bureaucracy, mobilization of bias* Demonstrated through the reflection of elite interests in vagrancy laws and how different platforms changed these laws over time. Legal innovation: the emergence of the law of vagrancy in england: 1274 statute bans vagrants from residing and begging in religious houses, giving to the non-disabled poor. They must be willing to become servants, provided that they have no other means of labor: 1351 stipulates that disobeying this statue is punishable by 15 days jail time with a justification. Statute is the result of changes in social structure: black death in england 1348 decimated work force (50% of population died, time in which economy was dependent on cheap labour. Serfs (agricultural labourers/slaves) were slowly depleting as lords were selling them their freedom in order to build funds.
