The existence of a parallel equity jurisdiction is a fascinating
peculiarity of the legal tradition of common law. For centuries, the
Court of Chancery was the most important of the English equity courts.
Any investigation of the development of English equity law must
therefore start here. Over the years, numerous studies have been written
on the historical development of the Court of Chancery, which have,
however, failed to adequately explain the peculiarity of its subject. By
examining the late medieval sources from the perspective of modern legal
theory and classifying the development in a broader European context,
this book is intended to provide a better understanding of this at first
glance irritating phenomenon.