William Blackstone

William Blackstone – Life, Legacy, and Famous Quotes

Explore the life and work of Sir William Blackstone (1723–1780), the English jurist whose Commentaries on the Laws of England shaped common law traditions. Discover his philosophy, influence, and memorable quotations.

Introduction

Sir William Blackstone (10 July 1723 – 14 February 1780) was one of the most influential legal thinkers in the history of English common law. His multi-volume Commentaries on the Laws of England provided a systematic, accessible account of British law, and became foundational for both English and American legal education.

Blackstone’s work bridged theory and practice, articulating principles of rights, property, criminal justice, and the role of the legislature. His legacy endures in legal systems across the English-speaking world.

Early Life and Education

William Blackstone was born on 10 July 1723 in London, England, the posthumous son of Charles Blackstone, a silk merchant, and his wife Mary.

He attended Charterhouse School and in 1738 matriculated at Pembroke College, Oxford. All Souls College, Oxford, and was admitted to the Middle Temple (one of London’s Inns of Court).

At Oxford, he studied classical subjects and cultivated interests in law and philosophy.

Early Career & Scholarly Work

Academic & Lectures

Blackstone’s legal reputation first rose through lectures. In 1753 he began giving lectures on the English common law—the first systematic public lectures on the subject at Oxford. An Analysis of the Laws of England (1756) and A Discourse on the Study of the Law (1758).

In 1758 he was appointed the first Vinerian Professor of English Law, a chair expressly created for him, and continued delivering lecture series that drew large audiences.

Return to Legal Practice

With growing recognition, Blackstone resumed private practice as a barrister, taking cases in the King’s Bench and other courts. Hindon (1761–1768) and later for Westbury (1768–1770).

Judicial Appointment

Blackstone’s judicial appointments came relatively late. In February 1770, he was appointed a Justice of the King’s Bench, and later that year he moved to become a Justice of the Court of Common Pleas, a position he held until his death in 1780.

As a judge, his decisions were marked by care and conscientiousness. Still, historians note he was more renowned for his scholarship than for courtroom brilliance.

Commentaries on the Laws of England & Legal Ideas

Blackstone’s enduring influence rests largely on his Commentaries on the Laws of England, published in four volumes between 1765 and 1769.

The Commentaries organized and explained English common law in a coherent, accessible form. They covered topics such as:

• Rights of Persons (individual rights, status, family law)

• Rights of Things (property, estates, ownership)

• Private Wrongs (torts, contracts, equity)

• Public Wrongs (criminal law, procedure)

Blackstone’s style combined clarity, moderation, and a constitutional perspective.

He argued for the sovereignty of Parliament, the sanctity of property rights, and limits on arbitrary power.

One of his most famous maxims is:

“It is better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer.”

This principle—often called Blackstone’s Ratio—emphasizes the protection of the innocent over sweeping punitive power.

Blackstone also was critical of arbitrary detention and emphasized the importance of trial by jury as a safeguard of liberty.

His work became the standard legal text in England and especially in the American colonies, deeply influencing the development of American constitutional and common law.

Legacy & Influence

Blackstone’s impact is vast:

• His Commentaries shaped legal education: for much of the 18th and 19th centuries, it was the primary text for law students in England and America.

• American founders and jurists—such as John Marshall, James Wilson, John Jay, and others—were deeply influenced by Blackstone’s work.

• His articulation of principles like due process, individual rights, property law, and the balance of powers remains foundational in modern legal doctrine.

• Though not without critics (e.g. Jeremy Bentham challenged some of his assumptions and methods), Blackstone is still often described as “a good judge but a better commentator.”

• His principles—especially Blackstone’s Ratio—remain frequently invoked in debates on criminal justice, burden of proof, and the protection of the innocent.

Selected Quotes

Here are a few quotations attributed to Blackstone that capture key parts of his philosophy:

• “It is better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer.”

• “The public good is in nothing more essentially interested, than in the protection of every individual's private rights.”

• “Trial by jury is a privilege of the highest and most beneficial nature … our most important guardian both of public and private liberty.”

• “Every wanton and causeless restraint of the will of the subject … is a degree of tyranny.”

• “No human laws are of any validity, if contrary to [natural and divine law]; and such of them as are valid derive all their force … from this original.”

• “The law, which restrains a man from doing mischief to his fellow citizens, though it diminishes the natural liberty, increases the civil liberty of mankind.”

Lessons from William Blackstone

1. Systematization matters
   Blackstone showed that giving order, clarity, and structure to complex subjects (like law) increases understanding and impact.

2. Principles over prescriptions
   His reliance on higher principles—natural law, rights, fairness—gives enduring relevance beyond specific statutes.

3. Protection of the innocent is paramount
   His famous ratio underscores the idea that justice requires humility and caution, not unbridled power.

4. Bridging theory and practice
   Blackstone’s blend of doctrine, legal practice, and judicial service exemplifies how scholarship can inform real institutions.

5. Influence across systems
   His work demonstrates how ideas in one legal tradition can shape parallel systems globally (especially in former British colonies).

Conclusion

Sir William Blackstone’s life (1723–1780) stands as a turning point in legal history. As a scholar, judge, lecturer, and writer, he transformed the messy, unwritten traditions of English law into a coherent, principled system. His Commentaries on the Laws of England bridged centuries of legal practice into a work that educated generations of lawyers and judges across continents.

In modern law, echoes of Blackstone’s thought remain—in criminal procedure, constitutional debates, and the foundational respect for rights and process. His legacy invites us to consider not just what laws are, but what they ought to be—grounded in justice, clarity, and restraint.