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OverviewJames Donovan takes a comprehensive approach to the history of the jury in modern France by investigating the legal, political, sociocultural, and intellectual aspects of jury trial from the Revolution through the twentieth century. He demonstrates that these juries, through their decisions, helped shape reform of the nation's criminal justice system. From their introduction in 1791 as an expression of the sovereignty of the people through the early 1900s, argues Donovan, juries often acted against the wishes of the political and judicial authorities, despite repeated governmental attempts to manipulate their composition. High acquittal rates for both political and nonpolitical crimes were in part due to juror resistance to the harsh and rigid punishments imposed by the Napoleonic Penal Code, Donovan explains. In response, legislators gradually enacted laws to lower penalties for certain crimes and to give jurors legal means to offer nuanced verdicts and to ameliorate punishments. Faced with persistently high acquittal rates, however, governments eventually took powers away from juries by withdrawing many cases from their purview and ultimately destroying the panels' independence in 1941. Full Product DetailsAuthor: James M. DonovanPublisher: The University of North Carolina Press Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press Dimensions: Width: 15.60cm , Height: 1.60cm , Length: 23.50cm Weight: 0.426kg ISBN: 9781469622187ISBN 10: 1469622181 Pages: 272 Publication Date: 30 December 2014 Audience: Professional and scholarly , Professional & Vocational Format: Paperback Publisher's Status: Active Availability: In stock We have confirmation that this item is in stock with the supplier. It will be ordered in for you and dispatched immediately. Table of ContentsReviewsOne of the many merits of Donovan's erudite and incisive book is to trace the many twists and turns of the experiment and to explain why it has been so troubled. . . . An authoritative and useful book. -- Journal of Interdisciplinary History Author InformationJames M. Donovan is associate professor of history at Pennsylvania State University at Mont Alto, USA. Tab Content 6Author Website:Countries AvailableAll regions |