Law and Modern Society

How and why is so much new law made? By what right does a judge order that a man be sent to gaol? Why is so much of the law so contentious, and why should we, the people, accept the laws made by those who claim the right to govern us?

In this lucid, stimulating, and thoroughly updated survey, P. S. Atiyah introduces the reader to a number of fundamental issues about the law, the legal profession, and the adjudicative process. He also discusses the effect of membership of the EC on our law, the recent controversy over the independence of the judiciary, and the problems arising from the cost of legal services and legal aid.