The Hamlyn Lectures

The Hamlyn Lectures

根據網站的資料 William Bussell Hamlyn 是英格蘭西南部

Devon 郡內的城市 Torquay 的一位律師。

他女兒 Emma Hamlyn在1948年創立 The Hamlyn Trust。

簡單來說，這信託基金的宗旨是發展法學教育。

趁聖誕假，我連續閱讀了好幾個早期的 lectures，

全部都是大師級作品，認真獲益良多！

例如 Professor Glanville Williams 在 1955年所 寫 的《The Proof of Guilt》。

（註：你要有心情和時間才可以閱讀。單是這個 lecture已經佔用了 312頁 pdf）。

在Lecture的其中一部份，Professor Williams引述了一篇有趣的打油詩

（出自：

Thayer所著的 Preliminary Treatise on Evidence；

Stephen所著的 History of Criminal Law 和

Holdsworth所著的 History of English Law）

如果你是位有心人，又或者是位詭計多多的 wily advocate，

你看過之後定必會回心微笑。

我不敢嘗試翻譯！現擇錄原文如下：

“For lest the sturdy criminal false witnesses should bring

His witnesses were not allowed to swear to anything;

And lest his wily advocate the Court should overreach

His advocate was not allowed the privilege of speech

Yet, such was the humanity and wisdom of the law

That if in the indictment there appeared to be a flaw,

The Court assigned him Counsellors to argue on the doubt,

Provided he himself had first contrived to point it out

Yet lest their mildness should by some craftily abused,

To show him the indictment they most steadfastly refused,

But still that he might understand the nature of the charge,

The same was, in the Latin tongue, read out to him at large.”