English Legal System

Slapper, Gary; Kelly, David

ISBN 10: 1859414664 ISBN 13: 9781859414668

Publisher: Routledge-Cavendish, 1999

Synopsis

The English legal system has undergone extensive change since the last edition of this book. As with previous editions of the text, the new edition presents the law in a clear style and also, where appropriate, puts the law in social, economic, political and historical contexts. The new edition includes the following: The 1999 Civil Justice Reforms - the new Civil Procedure Rules and Practice Directions (effective from April 1999), the detail of how they change civil process and the significance of these changes for the public and for lawyers; The Access to Justice Act 1999 - the replacement of the legal aid system, the Legal Services Commission, the Criminal Defence Service, changes to the conditional fee arrangements, changes to the magistrates' court system, and the appeals system, and changes to rights of audience; The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 - youth crime and parenting orders, abolition of doli incapax rule, the Youth Justice Board, the abolition of committal proceedings for indictable offences only, and bail provisions; The Human Rights Act 1998 - what effect it has had, and will be having in the future; The House of Lords' decisions concerning In Re Pinochet (1999); recent developments in Alternative Dispute Resolution; and the 1997 Treaty of Amsterdam and its effect on the Treaty of Rome.

About this title

From the Back Cover

A good comprehension of the English legal system requires knowledge and skill in a number of disciplines. The system itself is the result of developments in law, economy, politics, sociological change and the theories which feed all these bodies of knowledge. This book assists students of the English legal system in the achievement of a good understanding of the law, its institutions and processes and sets the law and system in a social context, presenting a range of critical views.

 

Being proficient in this subject also means being familiar with contemporary changes and proposed changes, and this new edition has been comprehensively revised and updated to take these into account. 

 

Since the last edition of this book, the changes to the English legal system have been major and manifold. This new 8th edition for 2006 includes important changes made to the law and legal system by the Constitutional Reform Act 2005. The book includes a new chapter on The Jury, and analysis of the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005, the House of Lords decision in A (and others) v The Secretary of State for the Home Department, the continued development of human rights law, and the Court of Appeal case of R v (on the application of Gillan) v Metropolitan Police Commissioner. The edition also includes an updated version of the court system, the rules of civil procedure, developments in the legal profession, publicly funded law, and European law. 

About the Author

Gary Slapper is Professor of Law, and Director of the Centre for Law, at The Open University, and writes a legal column for The Times.

David Kelly is Principal Lecturer in Law, and Director of the Centre for Critical Legal Studies, at Staffordshire University.

Edition details

• Publisher: Routledge-Cavendish
• Publication date: 1999
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1859414664
• ISBN 13: 9781859414668
• Binding: Textbook Binding
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 604