Box 58 contains a relatively early portion of Bentham’s writings on the subject of judicial evidence and procedure, dating from 1803–5.

Here, Bentham gives a preliminary outline of the work that would ultimately manifest as Rationale of Judicial Evidence; Specially Applied to English Practice, which was edited by John Stuart Mill (1806–73) and published in 1825—beginning with the ‘ends’ or ‘objects’ that that particular work had in view.

The material in Box 58 features discussions on a number of subjects which are to be found throughout Bentham’s extensive writings on the subject of evidence, which are spread throughout twenty boxes of manuscripts. These subjects include the existing forms of procedure in English courts which he thought caused unnecessary delays, confusion, and expense, and the technical rules and idiosyncrasies which he argued kept the administration of justice inaccessible to all.

Detailed contents of this box are as follows:

• Folios 1 to 19: Evidence - object; 1803
• Folios 20 to 128: Evidence - introduction; 1803-05
• Folios 129 to 151: Procedure, Evidence - ends; 1803-05
• Folios 152 to 443: Evidence - introduction; 1804-05

Folios from box 58 which have already been partially or fully transcribed are listed under the progress bar below.

Box 58 Progress: Transcription begun

Untranscribed: 0
In Progress: 0
Ready For Review: 0
Completed: 443
Total: 443