Book Review: The Lazier murder: Prince Edward County, 1884 by R. J. Sharpe

• Author: Katelyn Hancock
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/1057567720903102
• Published date: 01 December 2022
• Date: 01 December 2022
• Subject Matter: Book Reviews

and public apathy about wrongful executions and prosecutors’resistance to retrial cases. Especially,

“when power and rationality collide in a legal system, power usually prevails”(p. 115). Second, abo-

lition of the death penalty in the US may lead to abolition in Japan because “the world’s most influ-

ential democracy”would no longer help to “legitimate capital punishment in democracies”(p. 115).

Under such conditions, Johnson further elaborates on some positive outcomes were capital punish-

ment to be abolished, though also noting various cultural bounds that may present challenges.

This book thoroughly explains why Japan retain capital punishment from multiple perspectives

and effectively points out the possibility of future reforms. However, Johnson fails to integrate

individual-level culture of seppuku (a ritual suicide for one’s own mistake) and the role of kaishaku-

nin (a person appointed to behead an individual who has performed seppuku) into his sociological

analysis. Additionally, from a Japanese criminal’s perspective, state killing may be reasonable and

considered as a release from guilt. That said, the book is easy to read and understand, targeting a

potential audience of scholars interested in comparative or Asian criminology, undergraduate stu-

dents, or anyone interested in capital punishment generally.

ORCID iD

Yu Du https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7442-4063

Sharpe, R. J. (2011).

The Lazier murder: Prince Edward County, 1884. University of Toronto Press. 192 pp. $22.46, ISBN: 9781442644212.

Reviewed by: Katelyn Hancock, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA

DOI: 10.1177/1057567720903102

In The Lazier murder: Prince Edward County, 1884, Sharpe examines a community’s response to a

murder case in Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada, in the nineteenth century. Sharpe weaves

together the case using contemporary and archived newspaper accounts, describing the murder of

Peter Lazier and the trial that followed. Sharpe observes that the justice system’s response to the

Peter Lazier murder may have resulted in mistakes and wrongful convictions. As a prolific

Osgoode Society author, academic, lawyer, and judge, Sharpe provides a unique perspective on

Canadian law during this time period and the changes since then.

In the first chapter, Sharpe makes a compelling argument for the use of case studies that focus on

ordinary people rather than well-known leading cases. He argues that this ordinary story provides a

unique perspective on how the trials of individuals can be influenced by public opinions. It also

draws attention to the reality that during this time period, an accused person could not testify on

their behalf or appeal their conviction.

The second chapter provides context about the murder of Peter Lazier and the police response.

Sharpe provides a solid perspective of police officers, as constables volunteering with very little

to no training in actual police work. He maintains that informal structures and protocol led to the

wrongful arrest of the first suspect based solely on footprints in the snow, the boots similar

bottoms, and sizes measured by sticks.

The third chapter characterizes the inadequacies of the justice system during the nineteenth

century. To best illustrate this point, Sharpe informs readers that constables were only paid their

fees dependent upon securing arrests and convictions. Further, the author notes that the suspects

were not questioned, and detectives used deceit attempting to recover a murder weapon. This

chapter may be useful when critically evaluating current policing practices or making a case for

improvements the system has made.

472 International Criminal Justice Review 32(4)