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Hue and cry eric britton themes11/10/2022 ![]() ![]() All able-bodied men were responsible to answer this cry, under threat of punishment. So, the pursuit and apprehension of a suspected criminal fell to the people of England. They had a sheriff (or shire reeve) who could dispense with the King’s justice, but they did not have regular constables or police forces. Remember, medieval England did not have a regular police force. Anyone who heard this hue and cry were then responsible for joining in the pursuit of the criminal, in order to apprehend them. Essentially, the Hue and Cry was a requirement of all peoples of England to ‘hue and cry’ whenever they witnessed a crime. ![]() We’ve talked about Edward a lot, and his incredible impact on legal history. As many of my long readers know, this was an important legal document implemented by King Edward I (Longshanks, the Hammer of the Scots). So, the hue and cry was a method of criminal justice/crime fighting that was first made into English law by the Statute of Winchester. For some reason, I associate it with the Shakespeare quote ‘Cry Havoc, and let slip the hounds of war!’īut for all its poetic qualities, it is actually an interesting aspect of legal theory that has influenced our modern legal system and although you probably didn’t realize it, you have encountered its byproducts if you watched a western film, or know anything about Right Wing militias. It also has some poet qualities to it, as in it rolls off the tongue. The hue and cry! Sounds like something that is both primal and strangely organized. ![]()
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