‘At the Point He Always Wished For’ (1770–80)
Blackstone's decade as a puisne justice of King's Bench and then Common Pleas following the publication of his Commentaries was no mere anti-climax. A notably careful and conscientious approach to his judicial duties may have been in part a reaction to previous criticism of his personal integrity, and his conviction of the need to maintain the judiciary's dignity and independence. In general, he appears to have adopted a less severe approach to crime and criminals than some of his judicial colleagues. His judgments on civil cases attracted considerable attention, boosting his public image and reputation, which stood second only to that of Lord Mansfield. Blackstone's preoccupation with the minutiae of correct judicial behaviour sprang from principled scruples, not a delight in the power and status of his office.
Keywords: judge, Westminster Hall, King's Bench, Common Pleas, criminal justice, civil justice, Mansfield, judiciary
Oxford Scholarship Online requires a subscription or purchase to access the full text of books within the service. Public users can however freely search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter.
Please, subscribe or login to access full text content.
If you think you should have access to this title, please contact your librarian.
To troubleshoot, please check our FAQs , and if you can't find the answer there, please contact us .