Speech of Edward Law on the Trial of Warren Hastings

Copy of Edward Law's speech during Warren Hastings' trial in 1792, taken from Joseph Gurney's short-hand notes, probably made sometime after 1827 (date of watermark).

Edward Law, first Baron Ellenborough (1750-1818), was a judge. He was made a king's counsel in June 1787 and in that year he became counsel to Warren Hastings in his impeachment, for whom he secured an acquittal in 1795. He was later appointed attorney-general and chief justice of the king's bench.

Joseph Gurney (1744-1815) was a stenographer and bookseller. He succeeded his father, Thomas Gurney, as official reporter at the Old Bailey and in the early 1780s was appointed parliamentary shorthand reporter; he served as government shorthand reporter at many state trials, including that of Warren Hastings. He published transcripts of many of these trials; he keenly defended his legal claim to publish transcripts of his notes in accordance with his status as official reporter.

Phillipps manuscript no. 15910.