An introduction to law

Cover......Page 1
Half-title......Page 3
Series-title......Page 4
Title......Page 7
Copyright......Page 8
Contents......Page 9
Preface......Page 13
Table of statutes......Page 15
Table of cases......Page 21
1 Law and society......Page 33
Analysing law......Page 34
Authority and obedience to law......Page 38
Law and society......Page 40
Industrialisation and the role of law......Page 47
Law and society: consensus or conflict?......Page 53
2 Law and morality......Page 58
The social definition of law and morality......Page 68
Morality and the law......Page 77
‘Crimes without victims’......Page 78
Censorship......Page 84
The legislation of morality......Page 92
3 Law and the regulation of economic activity......Page 100
The form of the business enterprise......Page 104
The changing functions of state and law......Page 112
Summary......Page 121
Rights and duties: problems of analysing legal concepts......Page 122
Human rights and the Human Rights Act 1998......Page 123
Legal rights, legal duties and legal remedies......Page 125
Legal personality......Page 134
Summary......Page 141
5 Law and property......Page 142
The function of private property in capitalist society......Page 143
The law of property......Page 147
Intellectual property and data protection......Page 150
Land and the law......Page 158
Planning......Page 161
Pollution control......Page 163
Pollution can take many forms and result from many types of activity......Page 164
Attempts to control pollution have been piecemeal and complex, and a number of different agencies have been charged with enforcing control measures......Page 166
Controls have, to date, met with differing degrees of success in tackling pollution......Page 167
Pollution control measures have been modified in a number of recent statutes, designed to achieve a more integrated system of control......Page 168
Housing......Page 169
Conclusion......Page 181
6 Law and the settlement of disputes......Page 182
The prevention and settlement of disputes in modern society......Page 183
Complaints relating to central government......Page 191
Health Service Commissioners......Page 192
Business disputes: avoidance and arbitration......Page 194
The growth of tribunals......Page 198
Some recent developments......Page 204
Case management......Page 207
The reform of the Rules of Court......Page 208
The English courts: the constitutional position......Page 209
The English court structure......Page 212
The courts and society......Page 217
Parliamentary legislation: politics, pressures and public policy......Page 222
Precedent and policy I: the common law......Page 231
Equity and the common law......Page 241
Precedent and policy II: statutory interpretation......Page 242
8 The European dimension of English law......Page 247
Principal institutions of the European Community......Page 250
European Community law and the principle of direct effect......Page 257
European Community law: an overview......Page 264
Tort and capitalism......Page 273
Liability in tort......Page 281
Liability in negligence in cases involving the police and emergency services......Page 295
Negligent acts or omissions causing economic loss......Page 299
Negligent statements causing economic loss......Page 304
Negligent acts or omissions causing psychiatric illness......Page 314
Summary......Page 323
Liability for defective products......Page 324
Vicarious liability and the role of insurance......Page 327
Remedies in the law of tort......Page 334
10 Liability in English law: crime and the criminal justice system......Page 338
Liability in criminal law......Page 339
‘Intention’......Page 344
‘Recklessness’......Page 347
Strict liability......Page 350
Defences......Page 354
The criminal justice system......Page 358
Criminology and the criminal justice system......Page 374
11 The development and role of the contract......Page 381
Can performance of an existing duty be sufficient consideration?......Page 388
Consideration must move from the promisee......Page 393
Contract and the consumer: the exclusion clause problem......Page 397
Legislative intervention: the solution to the consumer problem?......Page 401
Hire-purchase and consumer credit......Page 403
Implied terms and exclusion clauses......Page 408
Criminal liability......Page 412
Is the consumer now adequately protected through legislation?......Page 413
Contract and business: the positive role of the contract......Page 415
12 Law and government......Page 418
Remedies in administrative law......Page 422
The role of law in the administrative process......Page 430
The grounds for judicial intervention in administrative activity......Page 435
Can the courts’ jurisdiction be excluded?......Page 436
Ultra vires: unlimited judicial intervention?......Page 438
The Human Rights Act 1998: ‘in law, context is everything’......Page 443
Natural justice: the ‘duty to act fairly’......Page 447
Conclusion......Page 450
13 The legal profession......Page 452
The divided profession and its work......Page 457
The social composition of the legal profession......Page 464
The cost of legal services......Page 467
Conclusion......Page 476
14 The judges......Page 477
The social background of the judiciary......Page 478
The appointment and training of judges......Page 481
Judges, politics and the process of decision-making......Page 484
Conclusion......Page 503
Index......Page 505