Crimes that shaped the law / David Field.

Includes index.

Case references: pages 221-222.

The law cannot remain static, but must adjust to reflect the changing society that it serves. From time to time, criminal cases arise that dramatically dictate the need for alterations to the law. Those developments often occur, but what of the fates of those whose misfortunes were the catalyst for change? The stories of some of these unwitting - and unwilling - pioneers are collected in this fascinating book. These twelve true-life tales include: the infamous practice of 'baby farming' that led to a new evidentiary principle; the murder of two young sailors that resulted in limits on an accused person's 'right to silence'; the victim of domestic violence whose trial on a murder charge saw the recognition of the 'battered woman syndrome'; the prosecutions of sleepwalkers who killed - were they criminally insane? ; the mistaken identity conviction that led to warnings against eyewitness identification. These lively and engaging stories, spanning a hundred years, provide the historical background that led to important changes to our justice system.