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In this volume, Niklas Luhmann, the leading exponent of systems theory, explores its implications for our understanding of law. The volume provides a rigorous application to law of a theory that offers profound insights into the relationships between law and other aspects of contemporary society, including politics, the economy, the media, education, and religion.

The English legal profession was often in the headlines during the 1990s. Reforms initiated by a Conservative Lord Chancellor and extended by his Labour successor transformed traditions, over the objections of the judiciary, Bar, and Law Society. This book mines that period for insights into the prospects of professionalism in the 21st century.

Examines the origins of the controversial practice of plea bargaining, a procedure that appears to reward the guilty. Contrary to popular perception of plea bargaining as an innovation or corruption of the post-World War II years, this study aims to show that the practice emerged early in the American Republic.

In almost all legal disputing, formalities are employed as a last resort. This book presents a new theory of decision-making, exploring the conditions under which prosecution is employed to handle troublesome occupational health and safety problems. This book is for those interested in law, regulation, socio-legal studies, criminal justice, sociology, and political science.

Twenty per cent of all the people in the world live under Islamic law. Going beyond steroetypes of rigid doctrine punishment the author explores the connections between everyday social life and contemporary Muslim ideas of justice and reason. Islamic law is thus seen as a kind of common law system closely attached to the cultural history of its adherents.

An exploration of the relationship between law and society. Generally understood to be a mirror of society, a reflection of its customs and morals, the law maintains social order. Focusing on this common understanding, the book conducts a survey of social and legal theories.

This edition constructs the foundations for an approach to the social scientific study of law. It analyses the major schools of socio-legal theory and articulates a 'social theory of law' that is illustrated through examples taken from judicial decision- making. It combines social science with legal theory.

Drawing on empirical studies from the USA, the UK and Australia, this study explores the process of governmental deregulation. It attempts to transcend the current debates between those in favour of strong state regulation and those who call for complete deregulation.

This collection of essays by a leading legal theorist seeks to re-locate the relationship between the traditional concerns of legal theory and the sociology of law, by establishing a consistent theoretical approach to the analysis of law in contemporary Western societies.

Most studies of law enforcement deal with police work, and many are concerned with underenforcement of selective enforcement as problems. This book shifts the focus to social and economic regulation and the issue of compliance.

The size of Britain's homeless population has risen considerably since the introduction of the Housing (Homeless) Persons Act 1977. This study presents detailed empirical information on the manner in which three local authorities implemented the homelessness legislation.

The concept of compliance is central to government attempts to regulate economic activities. This volume investigates the notion of compliance in two areas of vital importance to our everyday lives, namely occupational health and safety, and the environment.

This text studies an increasingly evident social and legal problem - the provision of third party loan security by a spouse/partner for the business debts of the other spouse/partner. It contains legal analysis and consideration of relevant sociological literature backed up by empirical research.

This text advances a political theory of lawyers' collective action. It claims the growth of lawyers' collective organization is connected to the development of Western liberal ideals and institutions, and focuses on three areas where lawyers' engagement has shaped the core of liberal politics.

The Social World of an English Crown Court analyses the routine organization of everyday life and work in a middle level metropolitan court. Completing the trilogy begun with A View from the Shadows and Helping Victims of Crime, this new work is unique in British criminology and socio-legal studies and should be essential reading for every serious scholar working in this area.

This study examines the recent political shift from interventionist policies on family welfare to one of freedom from interference. The contributors discuss factors contributing to the debate, such as economics, religious fundamentalism, gender roles and access to divorce or abortions.

This book looks at the way in which the medical profession in Britain regulates itself. It evaluates the General Medical Council's system of professional discipline from its beginning in 1858 to the present, and provides the first comprehensive study of how the Council deals with cases involving allegations of serious professional misconduct.

Part of a series concerned with the relationship between law and society, and designed to reflect the increasing interest of lawyers, social scientists and historians in this field, this volume is aimed at practitioners and scholars working in the areas of insolvency practice and commercial law.

This volume presents coverage of the jury systems of Australia, England, Canada, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, Scotland, and the United States. Coverage includes civil as well as criminal juries.

This text argues that certain elements affect the political significance of judicial decisions: Firstly, the status of judges; secondly, the organization of the judicial system, including such things as the existence of judicial review of legislation and the structure of trials.

Examining the social revolutions in France, the United States, and England during industrialization this book looks at the different ways in which social upheaval has prompted radical divergences in the organisation and regulation of the legal profession.

This work explores the problems encountered by the parties to internal contracts, drawing on evidence from a case study of NHS contracts. It uncovers difficulties in defining the parties' roles; in maintaining good working relationships; and in securing compliance with contractual terms.

Lawyer's ethics and regulation should be guided by an ideal of access to justice, and grounded in the everyday sociology of legal practice. This book proposes a practical model for making justice an everyday practice that not only incorporates lawyers' justice but goes beyond it, and provides a mechanism for rendering lawyers themselves subject to the justice of deliberative democracy.

This book is about the public regulation of commercial gambling in Great Britain. It examines recent changes and proposals for change to three primary forms - betting, gaming, and lotteries - against an account of their social and legal history. The author then moves forward to analyse the current regime and evaluate the impact of the Gambling Bill (introduced in 2003) upon it.

The Dutch penal system has long been held up to the world as a model of enlightenment. This study subjects the Dutch system to rigorous examination, and compares it to the penal systems currently operating in England and Wales.

This book addresses the question: how can law influence the internal self-regulation of organizations in order to make them more responsive to occupational health and safety concerns?

Discretion is a matter of scholarly interest for both lawyers and social scientists. This work uses contributions from both fields to explore some of the central issues involved of discretion by legal actors - those making decisions in the exercise of an authority conferred on them by law.