History of English criminal law

English law did not originally make a distinction between criminal and civil proceedings.

Contents

• Abolished offences
• Offences held no longer to exist or never to have existed
• Extant offences
• Protection of animals and the environment
• Abolished classes
• Abolished defences
• Abolished proceedings
• References

The first signs of the modern distinction between crimes and civil matters emerged during the Norman conquest of England in 1066. The earliest criminal trials had very little, if any, settled law to apply. However, the civil delictual law was highly developed and consistent in its operation (except where the King wanted to raise money by selling a new form of Writ).

The development of the "State" dispensing justice in a court only emerged parallel to or after the emergence of the concept of sovereignty. It was only in the 18th century that European countries began operating police forces. From this point, criminal law had the mechanisms for enforcement, which allowed for its development as a credible and self-sufficient entity.