The concept of treason can be dated back to the early Roman republic, but was defined by nebulous criteria, it would be the common laws of this time period which would most directly influence those customary in the court of King Arthur, a legendary British leader who, according to medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against which invaders in the late 5th and early 6th centuries AD?
Treason in Arthurian legend The concept of treason can be dated back to the early Roman republic, but was defined by nebulous criteria. Frederic William Maitland, author of The History of English Law Before the Time of Edward I, has said that "treason is a crime [with] a vague circumference and more than one centre." Early French and Anglo-Saxon laws for the prosecution of persons deemed traitorous were inspired by, and in some cases, directly pulled from, late Roman and Germanic conceptions of the crime. It would be the common laws of this time period which would most directly influence those customary in King Arthur’s court — assuming its existence is founded in more than the legends and fables of medieval romances.
English defamation law Modern libel and slander laws, as implemented in many (but not all) Commonwealth nations as well as in the United States and in the Republic of Ireland, are originally descended from English defamation law. The history of defamation law in England is somewhat obscure; civil actions for damages seem to have been relatively frequent as far back as the reign of Edward I (1272–1307), though it is unknown whether any generally applicable criminal process was in place. The first fully reported case in which libel is affirmed generally to be punishable at common law was tried during the reign of James I (1603-1625). Scholars frequently attribute the strict English defamation law to James I's outlawing of dueling. From that time, we find both the criminal and civil remedies in full operation.