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NOTE BY THE EDITOR. - Jeremy Bentham, The Works of Jeremy Bentham, vol. 2 [1843]

Edition used:

The Works of Jeremy Bentham, published under the Superintendence of his Executor, John Bowring (Edinburgh: William Tait, 1838-1843). 11 vols. Vol. 2.

Part of: The Works of Jeremy Bentham, 11 vols.

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NOTE BY THE EDITOR.

The subject of Judicial Procedure was a very favourite one with the Author, and one to which he was continually in the habit of recurring for more than thirty years. The consequence was, an immense mass of MSS. on this subject, extending to several thousands of pages, was found at his decease. Very many of the Chapters were written over and over again, each of them varying in some particulars: and all of them were more or less in an unfinished state. In preparing these MSS. for publication, the principal object throughout has been, as far as possible to present the text in the very words of the Author. The arrangement, I am fully aware, is not so logical as it ought to have been, or as it would have been, if the Author had lived to finish the Work. The difficulty was occasioned by this circumstance. In some Chapters, which in strictness ought to have followed others, allusions were made to the contents of those others, as if they were already known to the reader, and therefore they would not have been so readily understood, unless they had been made to follow, without making greater alterations in the text than I felt myself justified in doing. The plan pursued with respect to those Chapters which treated of the same topic, has been to incorporate the separate matter of each into one, and cancel the rest. Although much has been done in this way, and also in cancelling other repetitions, yet I fear some still remain, which should have been omitted. If this be found to be the case, the only apology I can offer is, that in a task of this responsible nature, I considered I should be erring on the safer side by retaining too much, rather than too little.

By far the greater portion of the Work was written between the years 1820 and 1827, both inclusive. Parts of the Introduction and the first Chapter were written so long ago as 1802, and may be distinguished by the style. In order fully to appreciate the merits of the arrangements here proposed, reference must be made to all that concerns the Judicial Establishments and the Minister of Justice, in the Constitutional Code. The Author’s great Work on Evidence should also be consulted.

In the Appendix will be seen the commencement of an “Initial Sketch of Procedure,” which was written under circumstances somewhat interesting. In the Autumn of 1825, the Author visited Paris for the benefit of his health. On his return, he was detained at Boulogne by a contrary wind for nearly a fortnight, and there at the end of that time this Sketch was written. It was the first thing written by the Author for nearly three months, during which his indisposition continued.

The paper on Account Taking Judicatories was intended by the Author to be attached to the Procedure Code; although it partly belongs to the Constitutional Code.

Two very instructive communications follow, on judicial matters in the East Indies. One is from Sir Alexander Johnston, the distinguished Chief-Justice of the Island of Ceylon; the other from a highly valued friend of the Author, who is now in India; I have not therefore been able to ask his permission to publish his name.

Richard Donne.