Henry de Bracton

Henry of Bracton, also Henry de Bracton, also Henricus Bracton, or Henry Bratton also Henry Bretton (c. 1210 – c. 1268) was an English cleric and jurist. He is famous now for his writings on law, particularly De Legibus et Consuetudinibus Angliae ("On the Laws and Customs of England") and his ideas on mens rea (criminal intent). According to Bracton, it was only through the examination of a combination of action and intention that the commission of a criminal act could be established.

Quotes

• The king must not be under man but under God and under the law.
  • Bracton, vol 2, p. 33