The Laws and Customes of Scotland, in Matters Criminal

Book excerpt: Reprint of the first edition of one of the earliest systematic studies of the criminal law. Sir George MacKenzie of Rosenhugh [1636-1691], "became notable for his resistance to the pretensions of the Crown, but in 1677, he was made Lord Advocate and in the next few years prosecuted and persecuted Covenanters with such zeal as to earn the title 'The Bloody Mackenzie.' In many cases he strained the law so as to obtain a conviction.": Walker, Oxford Companion to Law 792. He is also well-known for having founded the Advocates Library, now the national law library for Scotland. In contrast to Mackenzie's behavior on the bench, the Laws and Customes is notably moderate, especially in the sections dealing with witchcraft.