In Medieval Legal History Lecture at Oxford, Professor Seipp Talks About ‘When Lawyers Lie’

ALI Member David J. Seipp, a professor at Boston University School of Law, delivered the Youard Lecture in Legal History at Oxford University on March 10 with the provocative title "When Lawyers Lie: Forging an English Constitution in 1399.”

In the lecture, Professor Seipp examined the 1399 Year Book case, under the reign of Henry IV, which recounts the trial and beheading of an earl for treason.

The Year Book entry is widely regarded as a lie, and many scholars believe the entry is a later forgery. Professor Seipp argues that the case was "fabricated by the lawyers of 1399 as a report of what should have happened." Read more at BU Law’s website.

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