The Law (Theory & Practice in British Politics)

Book Cover......Page 1
Half-Title......Page 2
Title......Page 4
Copyright......Page 5
Contents......Page 6
Acknowledgements......Page 7
Series editors’ preface......Page 8
Legal theory......Page 10
The legal system......Page 12
Notes......Page 16
Clay Cross......Page 17
Two models of law......Page 20
(1) The partisan model of law......Page 21
(2) The neutral model of law......Page 23
Democracy, dominance and class......Page 27
The partisan model and the rule of law......Page 30
Clay Cross again......Page 34
Notes......Page 36
Pedro v. Diss......Page 39
The rule of law, not men......Page 41
Legal positivism......Page 42
A higher law?......Page 44
The rule of law and the way we legislate......Page 46
One law for all......Page 47
Special rules for officials?......Page 50
Relevant differences......Page 53
Law and official discretion......Page 55
Knowledge of the law......Page 57
Freedom and predictability......Page 59
Notes......Page 63
The choice of a Prime Minister......Page 66
‘The British way of doing things’......Page 69
Constitutional conventions......Page 72
Rules of recognition......Page 74
Constitutions and the structure of power......Page 77
Constitutional constraints......Page 83
The sovereignty of parliament......Page 85
The constitution as a framework for politics......Page 90
A written or an unwritten constitution?......Page 92
Notes......Page 96
The five techniques......Page 99
Rights as moral constraints......Page 103
Rights and respect for individuals......Page 107
The utilitarian argument against rights......Page 109
The distinction between acts and omissions......Page 111
Indirect utilitarianism......Page 113
What’s wrong with utilitarianism?......Page 115
Rights and democracy......Page 117
Rights as part of democracy......Page 121
Are rights the price of democracy?......Page 123
Notes......Page 125
The ‘Fares Fair’ case......Page 128
Judges and political power......Page 130
The traditional view......Page 135
An unaccountable elite......Page 136
Why judges have to make a contribution......Page 141
The interpretation of statutes......Page 142
Common law......Page 150
Precedent......Page 151
Politics again......Page 158
Notes......Page 159
Taylor v. NUM......Page 163
Framing the moral issue......Page 166
(2) Arguments about legality itself......Page 167
Political obligation......Page 168
‘The law-makers know best’......Page 169
Law and order......Page 172
Democracy: ‘There’s got to be a rule’......Page 174
How democratic are our laws?......Page 176
Why should the majority rule?......Page 177
Our background social duty......Page 182
Notes......Page 184
Bleak House......Page 186
Pomp and ceremony......Page 187
Rules, legalism, and injustice......Page 189
Justice......Page 190
Laws and words......Page 193
Law and political deliberation......Page 196
Adversarial individualism......Page 197
Getting along with law......Page 199
Notes......Page 203
H.L.A. Hart and modern positivism......Page 206
Judicial reasoning......Page 207
Moral objectivity......Page 208
Political obligation......Page 209
Law and class......Page 210
Index......Page 211