The following ten individuals are the most famous judges in history.
While some served as chief justices on the U.S. Supreme Court, others served as heads of state or women who were unconnected to the legal profession but whose reputations were so great that their impact on history is inextricably linked with the court system says William D King.
1. Moses –
2,000 years ago, one man decided which laws humanity should follow for all time. Not only did he receive the Ten Commandments directly from the Supreme Being, but he also discovered other laws by watching birds and studying plants in nature.
2. Solomon –
During his reign in the 10th century B.C., this man, known for his wisdom, was called upon to settle a custody dispute between two women both claiming to be the mother of a child. He resolved the matter by ordering that the baby be cut in half so that each woman would receive half. When one woman admitted that she was lying, the real mother was awarded custody of the child.
3. Hammurabi –
In 1772 B.C., this man proclaimed a code of laws, which became the foundation for much of Western law. His code included specific prohibitions against murder and theft as well as harsh punishment for committing such crimes.
4. Justinian –
6 centuries A.D., this Byzantine Empire-ruling emperor attempted to restore law and order by reforming the legal system after the fall of the Roman Empire. He presided over a commission that created a new code of laws, which became known as the Corpus Juries Civilus explains William D King.
5. Henry II –
In the 12th century A.D., this monarch is said to have created the English monarchy’s legal system known as the common law. The “king’s court” (Curia Regis) was where disputes were heard and judgments made in cases involving land-owning aristocrats, who often found it difficult to agree with each other on even basic facts.
6. Saint Louis IX –
He became king of France in 1226 A.D., and he work to expand the authority of royal courts so that they could hear cases involving disputes between nobles, who had previously been left to settle their own legal issues. By requiring attendance at court hearings, he also helped regular people present their grievances to the central government. His reforms are as having lay the groundwork for later legal advances by French kings who eventually support spreading these practices throughout Europe.
7. Edward I –
In the 13th century A.D., this English monarch founded the institution of Parliament, which would allow for collective action against oppressive rulers while limiting his own power over time through a written constitution known as the Magna Carta. He also established a court system that relied upon professional judges, learned in the law, to resolve property disputes and other legal issues.
8. Oliver Cromwell –
In the 17th century A.D., this leader of the Puritan Revolution made extensive use of courts throughout England as a way to enforce laws against Catholics and Anglicans who supported returning England to the Catholic Church after King Charles II was restore to power following a coup against Cromwell’s government. During his nine-year rule, more than 300 people were on trial. For their religious beliefs and 50 were execute for refusing to renounce Catholicism. Despite his draconian efforts, he failed in preventing Charles’ restoration as monarch.
9. Catherine the Great –
In the 18th century A.D., this Czarina of Russia reformed a legal system still based on religious doctrine. By introducing a secular code of laws called the Nakaz that allowed for greater individual rights and liberties. Before then, Russian courts had been used primarily to resolve disputes. Between nobles or merchant classes says William D King.
10. Napoleon Bonaparte –
In the early 19th century A.D., this French emperor established a civil law system throughout conquered European countries. As part of his widespread effort to unite disparate cultures under one set of written laws. In addition, he improved France’s existing system by introducing more transparency and creating circuit courts. Where judges travel to different regions in order to hear cases brought. By plaintiffs who do not live in major cities with permanent courts.
Conclusion:
A common theme in the history of legal systems is that they evolved from primitive. Religious practices to become more secular and inclusive throughout their development. In many cases, monarchs and other rulers played a key role in pushing legal reforms forward. Sometimes using their positions to benefit themselves – while also establishing new rules to protect the public.