‘Bardell v. Pickwick’ is an episode from Charles Dickens’ classic novel, ‘The Pickwick Papers’. Reminiscent of a John Grisham novel, this work by Charles Dickens is packed full of broken marriage promises, legal documents, clever police sergeants, and a trial by jury. Our hero is accused of breaching the promise of marriage and is taken to trial where the honourable Mr. Justice Stareleigh presides at the City of London courtroom. Is he innocent or will he be proven guilty? Let the trial begin in one of ‘The Pickwick Papers’ most popular episodes. So popular, in fact, it was often dramatized or read aloud as living room entertainment. Regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era, Charles Dickens is best known for creating some of the world’s best known fictional characters who feature in his most popular novels, including The Artful Dodger in 'Oliver Twist’, Ebenezer Scrooge in ‘A Christmas Carol’, and Miss Havisham in ‘Great Expectations’. Dickens’ timeless novels and short stories are still widely read today and many have been adapted into countless TV programmes and films including the Academy Award-winning musical ‘Oliver’, and 'A Christmas Carol' which well known worldwide and is a huge favourite movie for families to watch together at Christmas time.

A Victorian lawyer's view of a fictional case from the The Pickwick Papers shows how Dickens' wit, combined with a detailed knowledge of the law, produced one of the funniest court cases in fiction When Samuel Pickwick uttered soothing words to Mrs. Bardell in her time of need, he never dreamed that he would find himself in a court of law, in a breach of promise suit. As a parade of his friends did their best as witnesses to help him out of a hole, not always successfully, the other side produced evidence that was manipulated by skillful lawyers to make a cast iron case for Pickwick's guilt. In this lawyerly but witty book, Fitzgerald treats Bardell v. Pickwick as if it were a real case, analyzes the tactics of the various lawyers, and scrutinizes the points of law Dickens made his fictional lawyers present.

When Samuel Pickwick uttered soothing words to Mrs Bardell in her time of need, he never dreamt that he would find himself in a court of law, in a breach of promise suit. As a parade of his friends did their best as witnesses to extricate him from the situation, not always successfully, the other side produced evidence that was manipulated by skilful lawyers to make a cast iron case for Pickwick's guilt. In this lawyerly but witty book, Fitzgerald treats Bardell v Pickwick as if it were a real case, analyses the tactics of the various lawyers and scrutinises the points of law Dickens made his fictional lawyers present.