John Austin, H. L. A. Hart... Oh, And W. Jethro Brown!

Jethro Brown's place in the history of the Aberystwyth Law school is secure, but his contribution to scholarship more generally is largely forgotten. Through an analysis of his critique of the jurisprudence of John Austin this article seeks to restore Brown's reputation, not simply as an important commentator on Austin himself but also as at least a precursor of and at most an unacknowledged influence on the work of H. L. A. Hart. The article makes a case for a reappraisal of Brown's work and calls for it to be read by students of legal theory of our own day.