How the law works / Gary Slapper.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Slapper, Gary, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Law--England.

Law.

England.

Law--Wales.

Wales.

Physical Description:

x, 308 pages ; 24 cm cm

Edition:

Fourth edition.

Place of Publication:

London ; New York : Routledge, 2016.

Summary:

How the Law Works is a refreshingly clear and reliable guide to today's legal system. Offering interesting and comprehensive coverage, it makes sense of all the curious features of the law in day to day life and in current affairs. Explaining the law and legal jargon in plain English, it provides an accessible entry point to the different types of law and legal techniques, as well as to today's compensation culture and human rights law. In addition to explaining the role of judges, lawyers, juries and parliament, it clarifies the mechanisms behind criminal and civil law. How the Law Works is essential reading for anyone approaching law for the first time, or for anyone who is interested in an engaging introduction to the subject's bigger picture. Book jacket.

Contents:

1 The importance of Law 1

The nature of law 5

The rule of law 7

Clear and accessible law 12

The golden metwand 16

Law and social change 18

The law and democracy 26

Further reading 27

2 Judges 29

Profile of the judiciary 30

Types of judge 32

Judicial appointments 35

Judicial animation of the law 37

Battle of the law-makers 38

The judiciary and the administration of the courts 43

Judges and communicating with the public 45

The training of judges 45

Judicial independence 46

Judicial impartiality 48

Removal of judges from office 53

Magistrates 54

Magistrates and popular justice 57

Further reading 59

3 Lawyers 61

The legal profession 63

Lawyers and fees 65

A fusion of the professions 67

Solicitors 67

New forms of organisation for lawyers 71

The Chartered institute of Legal Executives 72

Barristers 73

Other help in the courtroom 79

Legal claims against lawyers 79

The proliferation of lawyers 82

Further reading 84

4 Cases and the Courts 85

Cases that changed the law 85

The common law system 90

The hierarchy of the courts 94

Human rights 105

Further reading 109

5 Case Technique 111

Titles 111

Ratio decidendi 112

Obiter dictum 113

Overruling 116

Distinguishing 117

Judicial development of the law 121

Dissenting judgments 127

Law reporting 128

News reporting 131

Judging the system of precedent 132

Further reading 134

6 Interpreting Acts of Parliament 135

A danger due to the state of the premises 138

The rules of interpretation 139

Other aids to interpretation 144

Human rights and interpreting UK law 149

The European context 152

Statutory interpretation, justice and truth 156

Further reading 162

7 Types of Law 163

Common law and civil law 164

Common law and equity 165

Common law and statute law 168

Public law and private law 169

Criminal law and civil law 173

Further reading 188

8 The Jury 189

The law of juries 191

When juries are used 192

Majority verdicts 197

Judges as jurors 199

Tale 1 The seancers' tale 200

Tale 2 The astrologer's tale 203

Tale 3 The peace campaigners' tale 204

Tale 4 The recusant's tale 206

Tale 5 The madame's tale 207

Tale 6 The avenger's tale 208

Tale 7 The expert's tale 208

Tale 8 The bonded juror's tale 210

Tale 9 The cougher's tale 211

Tale 10 The smoker's tale 212

Tale 11 The crime fighters' tale 213

Tale 12 The optimist's tale 215

A verdict 215

Further reading 216

9 Language and Law 217

Latin and the law 219

Punctuation 223

Legal words that have become common 226

Names 227

Profane language 231

Conciseness 233

Arcane legal words and phrases 234

Further reading 237

10 Miscellany 239

Ten legal literary classics 239

Ten remarkable witnesses 243

Ten great lawyers 246

Ten classic cases of courtroom misconduct 249

Ten great films for those interested in law 251

Ten classic law school witticisms 257

Ten classic judgment openings 259

Ten classic legal mistakes 262

Ten remarkable pieces of evidence 264

Ten remarkable passages of judicial prose 267.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Other Format:

Electronic version: Slapper, Gary. How the law works.

ISBN:

9781138914964

1138914967

9781138914971

1138914975

9781315620794

1315620790

OCLC:

929155574