Introduction to legal methodPDF电子书下载

Book Ⅰ INTRODUCTION TO LAW 3

1. THE NATURE AND FUNCTIONS OF LAW 3

"Truisms" about Human Nature 3

Social Order and Law 4

The Normative Character of Law and Morality 8

The Legitimacy of Law 10

2. METHODS OF SOCIAL CONTROL THROUGH LAW 13

The Penal Technique 15

The Grievance-Remedial Technique 20

The Private Arranging Technique 23

The Constitutive Technique 25

The Administrative-Regulatory Technique 26

The Fiscal Technique 27

The Conferral of Social Benefits Technique 27

Combinations of Techniques 29

The Legal Techniques and the Sources of Law 29

3. CLASSIFICATIONS OF LAW 31

Subject Classifications 31

Law and Equity 32

Civil and Criminal Law 37

Public and Private Law 39

Conclusion 42

Book Ⅱ SOURCES OF LAW AND METHODS OF LEGAL REASONING 47

4. LAW AND FACT 47

The Brain-Damaged Baby&Whitehouse v. Jordan: 47

Who Should Decide a Question—Layman or Judge? 50

Who Should Decide a Question—Trial Court or Appeal Court? 52

When Does a Decision on a Question Bind Future Courts? 56

Conclusion 57

5. FACT FINDING AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION 59

The Adversary Method 59

The Inquisitorial Method 62

Merits of the Methods 64

Non-Adjudicatory Methods 66

6. DETERMINING THE LAW 70

Sources of Law 70

Legal Language 72

Legal Reasoning and Logic 74

Legal Reasoning and Justification 76

The Limits of Legal Reasoning 78

Conclusion 79

7. CASE LAW 81

Analogy, Rules and Precedent 82

The Formulation and Application of Case Law Rules 85

The Ratio Decidendi 85

Obiter Dictum 89

Finding the Ratio of Decisions in Appellate Courts 91

Distinguishing Cases 93

Stare Decisis and the Hierarchy of Courts 96

A Comparison with the Position of Case Law in French and German Law 103

Conclusion 103

8. CASE LAW IN OPERATION 108

The Categories of Negligently Caused Economic Loss 108

The Case Law Development 111

Conclusion 119

Extracts from the Speech of Lord Roskill in Junior Books Ltd. v. Veitchi Co. Ltd. [1983] A.C. 520 at pp. 539 et seq. 121

9. LEGISLATION 128

An Outline of the Legislative Process 128

Mechanics of Enactment 129

Legislation and Language 131

Clear and Problem Cases 133

Interpretation of Legislation by the Courts 134

Current Judicial Practice 149

Reform Proposals 150

10. LEGISLATION IN OPERATION 155

The Scheme of the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977 155

The Problems 156

Intentional Homelessness—A Wider Perspective 162

Extracts from the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977 168

Code of Guidance to the 1977 Act 170

11. CODES AND CODIFICATION 173

Bentham and the History of Codification in England and Wales 173

Choosing an Appropriate Model 174

Interpretation and the Role of the Judge 175

The Pros and Cons of Codification 176

Codification in Operation—The Sale of Goods Act 1979 178

12. DOCTRINE 182

General Comparisons of Approach 182

The Position of Doctrine in English Law 182

The Status and Influence of Doctrine 186

The Citation of Modern Writers 187

13. THE EUROPEAN INFLUENCE 192

The European Convention on Human Rights 192

The European Economic Community (EEC) 193

Institutional Framework 194

Sources of Law 194

The Role of the E.C.J. 196

The Court and its Legal Method 196

Book Ⅲ WIDER DIMENSIONS OF THE LAW AND LEGAL METHOD 205

14. THE CHANGING LAW 205

The Nature of Legal Change 205

Policy Change and Legal Change 206

Policy Change and Legal Method 207

Law Reform and Legal Method 209

Limitations of Judicial Law Reform 209

Permanent Law Reform Agencies 210

The Pattern of Legal Change 211

Changing Tort Law 211

Conclusion 220

15. COMPARATIVE LEGAL CULTURES AND METHOD 223

The Concept of Legal Culture 223

Types of Legal Culture 224

16. LAW, JUSTICE AND POLICY 234

Questions of Value in the Law 234

Standards of Good Legal Craftsmanship and Process 235

Identifying Substantive Legal Values 235

The Concept of Justice 237

The Concept of Policy 241

Justice, Policy and Practical Reasoning 243

APPENDICES 251

1. SPECIMEN SOURCES 251

A Statute—The Education Act 1975 251

A Statutory Instrument—The Boot and Floor Polish Wages Council (Great Britain) (Abolition) Order 1974 255

An English Law Report—Regina v. Venna [1976] 1 O.B. 421 257

A Common Market Law Report—Auditeur du Travail at the Tribunal de Mons v. Cagnon and Taquet (Case 69/74) [1975] 2 C.M.L.R. 68 266

2. THE LAW LIBRARY, LEGAL MATERIALS AND THEIR USE 274

United Kingdom and Ireland 274

Primary Sources 274

1. Statutes 274

2. Delegated Legislation 277

3. Law Reports 277

The Year Books 1282-1537 277

Named Reporters 1537-1865 277

The English Reports Full Reprint 278

Law Reports 1865 to date 278

Other Series 279

Scotland 279

Ireland 279

Authorised Abbreviations for Modern Law Reports 280

Computer Retrieval of Primary Source Material 285

Secondary Materials 286

Encyclopedias of English Law 286

Digests 287

Textbooks 288

The Scottish Institutional Writers 288

Legal Dictionaries 288

Periodicals 289

Law Reform Materials 289

Australia 290

Primary Materials 290

Secondary Materials 290

Canada 291

Primary Materials 291

Secondary Materials 291

New Zealand 292

Primary Materials 292

Secondary Materials 292

The United States of America 293

Primary Materials 293

Secondary Materials 294

France 295

Germany 295

European Economic Community 295

Bibliography of Further Reading 296

Name Index 299

Subject Index 301