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History General

Crimes, Constables, and Courts

Order and Transgression in a Canadian City, 1816-1970

by (author) John C. Weaver

Publisher
McGill-Queen's University Press
Initial publish date
Feb 1995
Category
General

  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9780773512740
    Publish Date
    Feb 1995
    List Price
    $110.00

  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9780773512757
    Publish Date
    Feb 1995
    List Price
    $45.95

  • eBook

    ISBN
    9780773565227
    Publish Date
    Feb 1995
    List Price
    $110.00

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Description

Using Hamilton, Ontario, as his model, Weaver makes extensive use of newspaper accounts and police, court, and jail records in a revealing exploration of individual crime cases and overall trends in crime. Tracing the origin and evolution of courts, juries, police, and punishments, Weaver takes into account various social and cultural issues. For example, he shows how increasing centralization and professionalization of the criminal justice system and police have deprived communities of input, and how the legal system continues to be male dominated and biased against newcomers, strangers, and marginalized social groups. Often critical of the "state," Weaver paints a sympathetic view of police constables, who play an ambiguous role in the community while being saddled with an expanding array of onerous duties. Crimes, Constables, and Courts is history at its best - informative, entertaining, and accessible with a lively human element woven throughout. "Truly outstanding." Rod C. Macleod, Department of History, University of Alberta.

About the author

John C. Weaver is distinguished university professor at McMaster University and the author of Sorrows of a Century: Interpreting Suicide in New Zealand, 1900–2000.

John C. Weaver's profile page

Editorial Reviews

"A substantial, original contribution to legal and social history as well as historical criminology." Barry Wright, Department of Law, Carleton University.

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