De laudibus legum Angliae

treatise by Fortescue

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June 25, 2026

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De laudibus legum Angliae is a legal treatise written around 1470 by Sir John Fortescue, a prominent jurist. The work was intended for the instruction of Edward, Prince of Wales, son of the deposed King Henry VI. A significant aspect of the treatise is its praise for the English constitution and legal system, while depreciating the Roman-derived civil law. Fortescue's work is notable for its clear and simple style, making legal concepts accessible to laypeople, and for articulating the principle that it is better for the guilty to escape than for the innocent to be punished, a foundational idea in the Anglo-American jury system.1

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Sir John Fortescue
…notable for a legal treatise, De laudibus legum Angliae (c. 1470; “In Praise of the Laws of England”), written for the instruction of Edward, prince of Wales, son of the deposed king Henry VI of England. He also stated a moral principle that remains basic to the Anglo-American jury system:…
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…notable for a legal treatise, De laudibus legum Angliae (c. 1470; “In Praise of the Laws of England”), written for the instruction of Edward, prince of Wales, son of the deposed king Henry VI of England. He also stated a moral principle that remains basic to the Anglo-American jury system:…
Read More