Introduction to the English Legal System

Introduction to the English Legal System is the ideal foundation for those coming new to the study of law. Writing in a highly engaging and accessible style, Martin Partington introduces the purposes and functions of English law, the law-making process, and the machinery of justice, while also challenging assumptions and exploring current debates. Drawing on over 40 years' experience in the law, Martin Partington examines beliefs about the English legal system, and encourages students to question how far it meets the growing demands placed on it. Incorporating all the latest developments, this concise introduction brings law and the legal system to life. Digital formats and resources: This edition is available for students and institutions to purchase in a variety of formats, and is supported by online resources. - The e-book offers a mobile experience and convenient access along with functionality tools, navigation features, and links that offer extra learning support: www.oxfordtextbooks.co.uk/ebooks - The online resources include questions for reflection and discussion; self-test questions; a glossary; further reading materials; web links; and a link to Martin Partington's blog, which covers key developments in the English justice system.

1 - Introduction: aims, themes, and structure
2 - Law and society: the purposes and functions of law
3 - Law-making: authority and process
4 - Shaping the legal system: the role of government
5 - The criminal justice system
6 - The administrative justice system
7 - The family justice system
8 - The civil and commercial justice systems
9 - Providing legal services: the legal professions
10 - Access to Justice: paying for legal services
11 - Transformation or transition? The English legal system in flux

Martin Partington is a barrister and Emeritus Professor of Law at the University of Bristol. From 2001 he was Law Commissioner and later special consultant to the Law Commission leading its major programme of work on the reform of housing law. He was a consultant to the Leggatt Review of Tribunals in 2001. He has been a member of numerous committees and bodies working within the English Legal System. In 2011-2012 he was a consultant to the Public Administration Select Committee of the House of Commons. He was appointed CBE in 2002, elected a Bencher of Middle Temple in 2006, and made an honorary Queens Counsel in 2008. He is the author of Spotlight on the Justice System, a blog created to accompany Introduction to the English Legal System.