Product Description

Law underlies our society - it protects our rights, imposes duties on each of us, and establishes a framework for the conduct of almost every social, political, and economic activity. The punishment of crime, compensation of the injured, and the enforcement of contracts are merely some of the tasks of a modern legal system. It also strives to achieve justice, promote freedom, and protect our security. The result is a system that, while it touches all of our daily lives, is properly understood by only a few, with its impenetrable jargon, obsolete procedures, and interminable stream of Byzantine statutes and judgments of the courts. This clear, jargon-free iVery Short Introduction/i aims to redress that balance, as it introduces the essentials of law and legal systems in a lively, accessible, and stimulating manner. Explaining the main concepts, terms, and processes of the legal system, it focuses on the Western tradition (the common law and the civil law), but also includes discussions of other legal systems, such as customary law and Islamic law. And it looks to the future too, as globalization and rapid advances in technology place increasing strain on our current legal system.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #86373 in Books
• Published on: 2008-04-15
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: .37 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 144 pages

About the Author
Raymond Wacks is Emeritus Professor of Law and Legal Theory at the University of Hong Kong. His areas of interest are legal theory, privacy, and human rights, and he has published numerous books and articles on various aspects of law, including iJurisprudence/i (Blackstone Press, 5th edn), which is used by students worldwide; iUnderstanding Jurisprudence: An Introduction to Legal Theory/i (OUP, 2005); and iPhilosophy of Law: A Very Short Introduction/i. He has appeared on BBC television, and CNN and BBC radio, and has written for publications such as iThe Times/i, the iNew Statesman/i, and iThe Spectator/i.