| The
Bluffer's Guide to Law |
| By
David Mitchell |
| |
| Extracts
from the book | |
| |
| Adversaries |
| The
English legal system is adversarial as opposed to inquisitorial. What this means
is that lawyer A tries to outwit lawyer B and the court decides on the winner
by adding up points for technical merit and artistic impression. |
| |
| Ad
hoc |
| In
the law, Latin looms large as a necessary weapon in the armoury, and the distinction
between 'ratio decidendi' and 'obiter dictum' is a useful one to know. Where a
judgement is being given, the 'ratio decidendi' is the precise bit that is actually
relevant to the case in point and intended to hit the button as the precedent
for the future. The 'obiter dictum' means the judge in question was rambling on
about something else at the time so one need not take much notice of what he said. |
| |
| Specialisation |
| Civil
law is all about people's rights and duties to one another and covers dozens of
different and complex subjects, all enormous on their own and all subdivided into
dozens more areas which are just as complicated. Each of those areas will have
its textbooks and specialists. This allows you to pretend a rare speciality (such
as 'employment contracts of second division football managers' or 'environmental
law and the wood louse') and then to feign ignorance of any law outside that field. |
| |
| Reviews |
|
| |
| Written
in the gentle yet witty style of '1066 and All That', The Bluffer's Guide to
Law makes good reading... |
|
The
Lawyer |
| |
| More
fun than a law degree, and an awful lot cheaper! Amusing, interesting and clear.
I sort of hope that the overview of the legal system described in this book is
not what happens in the real world - especially the bit about the intellectual
ability of judges - but it does explain a lot...! Buy it. It's fun. And cheaper
than a degree in law. |
| A
reader from Bath, England |
| |
| ...this
is a book well worth the £3.99. |
|
The
Legal Executive Journal |
| |
| Table
of Contents | |
| |
|
Introduction The
English Legal System
The Law of Precedent
Civil Law and Criminal
Law
The Courts The
Lawyers' Who's Who
Solicitors
Barristers
Queen's Counsel
Judges
District Judges
Chairmen of Employment Tribunals
Academic
Lawyers
In-house Lawyers
Crown Prosecutors
Local Authority Lawyers
Legal Executives
Trainees
Other
Legal Big Wigs
Magistrates
Magistrates' Legal Advisors
Barristers'
Clerks
Ushers The
Lawyer'sÕ Trade Unions
The Law Society
The Bar Council
Legal
Aid and All That The
Clients The
Law Itself
Researching the Law
Criminal Law
Civil Law
-
The Law of Contract
- The Law of Tort
- The Law of Partnership
- Company Law
- Family Law
- Employment Law
- The Law of Insurance
- The Law of Property
- The Law of Inheritance Glossary
|
| |
Fortune
Telling
