Stephen, Sir James Fitzjames, 1st Baronet

Stephen, Sir James Fitzjames, 1st Baronet

(born March 3, 1829, London, Eng.—died March 11, 1894, Ipswich, Suffolk) British legal historian and judge. His General View of the Criminal Law of England (1863) was the first attempt to explain the principles of English law since the work of William Blackstone. As a member of the British viceroy's council in India (1869–72), he helped codify and reform Indian law. He later taught at the Inns of Court (1875–79) and served as a judge of the High Court of Justice (1879–91). His Indictable Offenses Bill, though never enacted, greatly influenced the reformation of criminal law in English-speaking countries.