Russell on Crime

A Treatise on Crimes and Misdemeanours or Russell on Crime is a book originally written by William Oldnall Russell. For the purpose of citation, its name may be abbreviated to Russ Cr.

Russell's Treatise on Crimes and Misdemeanours, which appeared in 1819 in two volumes in octavo, was pronounced by Warren (Law Student, 2nd edit. p. 620) "the best general treatise in criminal law". A second edition appeared in 1827; a third, edited by C. S. Greaves, in 1843, with a supplement in 1851; a fourth, in 3 volumes, in 1865; and a fifth, edited by S. Prentice, Q.C., in 1877. The American editions, of which seven were issued between 1824 and 1853, do not reproduce the whole work.

In 1847, J G Marvin said of the third London and fifth American editions:

The American editions, excepting the last, do not contain the whole of Russell on Crimes, from the supposed inapplicability, on the part of the editors, of certain parts of the work to this country. Its appreciation among us is best shown by the number of American editions. The notes of American Cases are numerous and able, and no English law book has received more careful and excellent editorial care than Russell on Crimes. Professor Whiteside remarks, that the second volume contains the best summary of the leading principles of the Law of Evidence, especially relating to Criminal Jurisprudence, he has ever met with. It is said to have been drawn up by Mr. Williams, the learned author of the work on Executors. Mr. Warren says, it is the best general Treatise on Criminal Law. 1 Leg. Reporter, 298; Hoff. Leg. Stu. 438; Warren's L. S. 620.

The most recent edition of Russell on Crime was the twelfth edition, which was published in 1964.

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