Pre-war London, 1910–1914

The death of Edward VII in 1910 and the accession of George V coincided with a period of political and social strain. Disputes over the powers of the House of Lords, Irish Home Rule, labour action and women’s suffrage challenged established institutions while London remained the administrative centre of a global empire.

The capital also saw changes in criminal investigation, forensic pathology, mass-circulation newspapers and professional life. These developments altered how evidence and reputation were presented in court, even though capital punishment and severe inequalities continued to shape criminal justice.

The Daniel Pitt novels place their barrister protagonist within this transitional London. Their trials, financial scandals and forensic disputes show a legal system beginning to adopt modern expertise while remaining governed by class, gender and institutional power.