Law and justice in the courts of classical Athens
By: Adriaan Lanni.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 2006
Place of publication: Cambridge; New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 210
ISBN-13: 9780521857598
Subjects: Justice, Administration of (Greek law); Courts -- Greece -- Athens -- History; Judicial process -- Greece -- Athens -- History
Description: "Adriaan Lanni draws on contemporary legal thinking to present a new model of the legal system of classical Athens. She analyzes the Athenians' preference in most cases for ad hoc, discretionary decision making, as opposed to what moderns would call the rule of law. Lanni argues that the Athenians consciously employed different approaches to legal decision making in different types of courts. The varied approaches to the legal process stem from a deep tension in Athenian practice and thinking, between the demand for flexibility of legal interpretation consistent with the exercise of democratic power by Athenian jurors; and the advantages of consistency and predictability. Lanni presents classical Athens as a case study of a sophisticated legal system with an extraordinarily individualized and discretionary approach to justice."--Jacket.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Introduction; title: Athens and its legal system; title: Relevance in the popular courts; title: The homicide courts; title: Legal insecurity in Athens; title: Maritime cases; title: Conclusions.