The Criminal Code, Forgery, London 1826

1826. Precursor to Peel's Acts [Hammond, Anthony (1758-1838)]. The Criminal Code. Forgery. London: Printed by George Eyre and Andrew Strahan, 1826. xxxvi, 380, [2] pp. Folio (13-1/4" x 8-1/2"). Contemporary three-quarter sheep over paper-covered boards, rebacked in morocco, blind fillets and gilt title, publication date and library name to spine, untrimmed edges. Moderate rubbing, a few faint stains to boards, corners bumped and somewhat worn, hinges cracked. Light toning to interior, light foxing to a few leaves, small library stamp to title page. $650. * Only edition. Hammond, a barrister and legal reformer, was commissioned by Parliament, under the sponsorship of Home Secretary Sir Robert Peel [1788-1850], to propose a code of English criminal law. Between 1823 and 1829 he produced a series of six codes under the general title The Criminal Code. Although they weren't adopted, they formed the basis of Peel's Acts, the first substantial reform of English criminal law. In turn, Peel's acts paved the way for the Criminal Law Consolidation Acts 1861. Printed in limited numbers for Parliament, courts and select members of the legal community, copies of these codes (and complete sets) are scarce today. OCLC locates 1 copy of the Forgery code (University of Edinburgh). Sweet & Maxwell, A Legal Bibliography of the British Commonwealth 2:153. (Inventory #: 75569)