Dec. 16, 2025
Survival cannibalism at sea and the necessity defense
Adam Cohen's "Captain's Dinner" recounts the shocking true story of shipwreck, cannibalism and murder that upended English law, tracing how the infamous Dudley & Stephens case forged the limit of the necessity defense.
Marc D. Alexander
Attorney and Mediator
Alternative Resolution Centers (ARC)
Shutterstock
The story of Regina v. Dudley & Stephens would be an unsavory sailor's yarn -- except, of course, that it is true and meticulously documented. Despite its distasteful subject, Adam Cohen's "Captain's Dinner" is a satisfying tale of homicide on the high seas, as well as a journey through En...
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