Introduction

Summary

The introduction defines “courtroom culture” as the constant interplay of law, informal practice, courtroom dialogue, cultural norms and social identity from which the dynamics and meanings of courtroom events were fashioned. Such dynamics and meanings, I argue, did not emerge fully formed from pre-existing patterns in English law and society, but were shaped on a daily basis by those in court and beyond it. This active process of generating, negotiating, and contesting the meaning of courtroom events are examined in the chapters that follow. Having outlined the fundamental arguments of the book, the Introduction engages the relevant historiography and theory on these issues and provides a brief chapter outline.