Skip to main content Skip to search Skip to search

Law Legal History

Essays in the History of Canadian Law, Volume VI

British Columbia and the Yukon

edited by Hamar Foster & John McLaren

Publisher
University of Toronto Press
Initial publish date
Dec 1995
Category
Legal History, Social History, General
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781442655430
    Publish Date
    Dec 1995
    List Price
    $63.00
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781442657021
    Publish Date
    Dec 1995
    List Price
    $100.00

Add it to your shelf

Where to buy it

Description

This sixth volume in the Osgoode Society's distinguished series on the history of Canadian law turns to the a central theme in the history of British Columbia and the Yukon - law and order. In the early days of British sovereignty, the frenzied activity of the fur trade and the gold rush, along with clashes between settlers and Natives, made law enforcement a difficult business. Later, although law and order were more firmly established, tensions continued between the dominant populations committed to the practice and rhetoric of British justice and those groups owing allegiance to other value systems (such as Native peoples, Asian immigrants, and Doukhobors) or those resisting authority (criminals and the criminally insane). These essays look at key social, economic, and political issues of the times and show how they influenced the developing legal system.

The essays cover a wide range of topics, and explore the human as well as the legal dimensions of their subjects, relating specific cases to broader theory. They demonstrate that English law has been flexible enough to accommodate diversity and is, therefore, pragmatic. The volume also proves that there is no single Canadian legal culture: geography, demography, politics, economics, and military considerations have had an impact on the shape of our legal culture. The introduction by John McLaren and Hamar Foster pulls together the many regional themes to provide a clear overview of the legal complexities of the period.

About the authors

Hamar Foster is a professor in the Faculty of Law, University of Victoria.

Hamar Foster's profile page

John McLaren is a professor emeritus in the Faculty of Law at the University of Victoria.

John McLaren's profile page

Other titles by

Other titles by