Project Summary: Discussion: Common Law In the Anglo-Saxon Era a drastic shift began toward what is now known as the criminal justice system. The rise of European violence in medieval England and the surrounding regions resulted in the establishment of a systematic response to abnormal behavior. For this Discussion, you examine English Common Law by comparing two patterns of criminal activity and violence in England between the years 570 and 1725. Then, you consider the effect the development of constitutional law and political freedom had on our current criminal justice system.