This volume investigates how the judicial system of early modern Venice functioned as a mechanism for regulating the urban economy and protecting the liberties of its citizenry between 1550 and 1700. James R. Shaw, drawing upon his research as a British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow, analyzes the intersection of legal practice and economic activity. By examining the archives of one of the city's oldest courts, the author argues that the Venetian legal framework provided a surprisingly accessible and efficient environment for ordinary people to resolve disputes and navigate the complexities of the marketplace.

Scholars of early modern history recognize this work as a significant contribution to the study of Venetian legal and economic institutions. Readers frequently note the meticulous use of archival evidence to challenge traditional assumptions about the accessibility of justice in pre-modern urban centers.