This is a study of the Old Bailey Session Papers to find evidence for sexist language in nineteenth-century court depositions. Historical research found evidence for a bias against men among the...Show moreThis is a study of the Old Bailey Session Papers to find evidence for sexist language in nineteenth-century court depositions. Historical research found evidence for a bias against men among the Late Modern populace, specifically, the widely-held belief that men were the reason for a supposed crime problem. This thesis employs language analysis software to find out whether this belief translated into sexism in the courtroom. Non-violent theft depositions between 1800 and 1899 available through the Old Bailey Proceedings Online were divided into two corpora, one for male defendants and one for female defendants, and analyzed in SketchEngine. The data showed no linguistic bias against men, instead there was a clear bias against women. The language used was in line with common sexist stereotypes and gender expectations for women. The recommendation is for further research to carry out similar data analysis for different groups of men, to see if the belief of a male crime problem targeted any specific group of marginalized men instead.Show less
In one way or another, the civilizations who ruled over Egypt in antiquity could all boast a close connection to the concepts of 'law' and 'justice'. Balance, justice, and order - all personified...Show moreIn one way or another, the civilizations who ruled over Egypt in antiquity could all boast a close connection to the concepts of 'law' and 'justice'. Balance, justice, and order - all personified by the goddess Ma'at - were the cornerstones of Ancient Egyptian religion and society. The Greek Ptolemies, who ruled over Egypt between 323 and 30 BC, would become famous for their advanced and intricate bureacracy, which also featured a highly effective law enforcement system. The Romans, more than any, prided themselves on their laws, which remain influential in modern societies to this day. This thesis sets out to discover the manner in which criminal justice in Egypt developed from the times of the New Kingdom, through the Ptolemaic era, and under Roman rule. Not only for the abovementioned anecdotal reasons, but also because the capability to deal with crime and to maintain order can serve as an indicator for a successful administration in general. Because criminal law forms an integral part of a legal system as a whole, which, in turn, is inseparable from the general administrative system of a country, all of these will be taken into account. The following questions will be answered in this thesis: how were the various legal and administrative systems organized?; which actions were considered to be crimes by the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans?; who possessed the legal authority to deal with these matters?; and in what manner were criminal transgressions dealt with in practice? In the end, the aim is to not only find out how criminal justice developed in the course of nearly two millennia, but also to offer an explanation as to why these developments took their specific course.Show less
