John Hostettler is a solicitor and legal historian whose biographical works included those on Sir Matthew Hale, Sir James Fitzjames Stephen and Lord Halsbury. He has written widely for the legal press and is a regular contributor to Justice of the Peace. His other books for Waterside Press are Famous Cases and Hanging in the Balance (both with Brian P Block), Fighting for Justice - The History and Origins of Adversary Trial, A History of Criminal Justice in England and Wales(2009), and Sir William Garrow (2009).

'This book makes a valuable contribution to the subject of the jury and is recommended to any new law student. As for those already qualified, it presents the arguments well. However you may see it from your own personal point of view, are you Prosecution or Defence? The English jury over the centuries is an interesting subject and this book has brought it alive': Internet Law Book Reviews 'This book not only addresses the variation in the form and function of the jury, but also provides an insightful analysis of...criminal procedure and the trial system in general': Scolag Legal Journal 'This book is not only informative but uplifting. By the end one realises that we do not just live in a democracy, but largely thanks to the existence if independently-minded juries, we live in a liberal democracy': Justice of the Peace

• Introduction; Origin and Early Growth of Jury Trial; Tudor and Stuart Political Control; The Jury in the Interregnum; Juries after the Restoration; Jury Influence at its Zenith - The 18th Century; Criminal Law Reform - The 19th Century; Attacks on the Jury - The 20th Century; Conclusion; Bibliography; Index.