Legal systems: courts and procedures Books

Book SynopsisAcclaimed journalist Jeffrey Toobin takes us into the chambers of the most important—and secret—legal body in our country, the Supreme Court, revealing the complex dynamic among the nine people who decide the law of the land. An institution at a moment of transition, the Court now stands at a crucial point, with major changes in store on such issues as abortion, civil rights, and church-state relations. Based on exclusive interviews with the justices and with a keen sense of the Court’s history and the trajectory of its future, Jeffrey Toobin creates in The Nine a riveting story of one of the most important forces in American life today.

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Book SynopsisWinner of the Inner Temple book prize 2015 and the Socio-Legal Studies Association Book prize 2014/15 The House of Lords, for over 300 years the UK's highest court, was transformed in 2009 into the UK Supreme Court. This book provides a compelling and unrivalled view into the workings of the Court during its final decade, and into the formative years of the Supreme Court. Drawing on over 100 interviews, including more than 40 with Law Lords and Justices, and uniquely, some of their judicial notebooks, this is a landmark study of appellate judging 'from the inside' by an author whose earlier work on the House of Lords has provided a scholarly benchmark for over 30 years. The book demonstrates that appellate decision-making in the UK's final court remains a social and collective process, primarily because of the dialogues which take place between the judges and the key groups with which they interact when reaching their decisions. As the book shows, the forms of dialogue are now more varied, yet the most significant dialogues continue to be with their fellow Law Lords and Justices, and with counsel. To these, new dialogues have been added, namely those with foreign courts (especially Strasbourg) and with judicial assistants, which have subtly altered the tenor and import of their other dialogues. The research reveals that, unlike the English Court of Appeal, the House of Lords in its last decade was only intermittently collegial since Lord Bingham's philosophy of appellate judging left opinion writing, concurrences and dissents largely to individual preference. In the Supreme Court, however, there has been a marked shift to team working and collective decision-making bringing with it challenges and occasional tensions not seen in the final years of the House of Lords. The work shows that effectiveness in group-decision making in the final court turns in part on the stages when dialogues occur, in part on the geography of the court and in part on the task leadership and social leadership skills of the judges involved in particular cases. The passing of the Human Rights Act and the expansion in judicial review over the last 30 years have dramatically altered the two remaining dialogues - those with Parliament and with the Executive. With the former, the dialogue has grown more distant, with the latter, more problematic, than was the case 40 years ago. The last chapter rehearses where the changing dialogues have left the UK's final court. Ironically, despite the oft applauded commitment of the new Court to public visibility, the book concludes that even greater transparency in the dialogue with the public may be required. 'The way appellate judges at the highest level behave to each other, to counsel, with other branches of government and with other courts is brought under closer scrutiny in this book than ever before…The remarkable width and depth of his examination…has resulted in a work of real scholarship, which all those who are interested in how appellate courts work all over the common law world will find especially valuable.' From the foreword by Lord Hope of Craighead KT 'Alan Paterson's knowledge and interest in the Supreme Court, coupled with his expertise as a lawyer who understands the legal system and the judicial process, make him a perfect chronicler and assessor of what the Court's role is and what it should be, and how it functions and how it might improve.' Lord Neuberger, President of the Supreme CourtTrade Review...an admirably researched, readable and fascinating addition to the growing literature on how judges go about their work. -- Michael Zander * New Law Journal, Volume 164, Issue number 7594 *Unless you're a Supreme Court Justice or a retired Law Lord, this book offers you the best available insight into how our highest court operates. In fact, even if you are on the Supreme Court, you're likely to learn something from Final Judgment. What I've not told you is how unusually gripping Final Judgment is. Reading it over the Christmas holiday, I found it hard to put down – something I don't often feel when reading academic works. More than anything else, Final Judgment is a work of human intelligence about the inner workings of one of our most important institutions. I'll be rereading it soon, and revisiting it often. -- Carl Gardner * Head of Legal *...a wise, perceptive, and at times funny work of scholarship... ...there is a huge amount of interest in this book for anyone interested in the judicial process. It is far from reverential, and the reader will come away with a much better idea of how judges at the top of the tree really make their decisions. -- David Hart QC * UK Human Rights Law Blog *Mandatory reading for anyone professing interest in the common law. -- Richard Susskind * The Times *...ground-breaking... -- Frances Gibb * The Times *[An] entertaining and informative account of his discussions with Supreme Court judges -- David Pannick QC * The Times *This fascinating and compelling account of the two courts before, during and after the transition, is a superb sequel to the author’s first detailed examination of the UK final court of appeal. -- Derek O’Carroll * Scottish Legal Action Group Bulletin *[This] marvelous new book [is one] that anyone teaching or writing about the U.S. Supreme Court or equivalent courts around the world should read. -- Herbert M. Kritzer * Law and Politics Book Review, Volume 24, Number 3 *The book is a true work of scholarship. With great clarity and with the assistance of empirical research, it takes the reader deep into the judicial decision making process and explores the factors which impact on that process. It provides the reader with a unique and captivating insight into the inner working of the highest court in the country and explains the consequences of the dialogues which the judges engage in and the impact these have upon the judicial thinking and will be welcome to academics and practitioners alike. -- Masood Ahmed * Civil Justice Quarterly, Volume 33(3) *It is both a fascinating survey and real life 'behind the scenes' review of the work of the Law Lords ... and their role in the highest court in the land. The work is unique in providing intimate portraits revealing the character and idiosyncrasies of the individuals who determine and apply the law at the ultimate level, because Paterson understands something that the Victorians also knew: that to comprehend the reasons why judgments are reached, one has to look beyond the mere 'letter of the law'. There is so much in this book that a review like this can only highlight some of the immediate and obvious points of interest, likewise it is difficult to offer any critical comment. There is a wealth of contextual information, examples and details that others will easily find engrossing and of significant relevance. -- Kim Stevenson * Law, Crime and History, Volume 2, 2014 *This is an excellent monograph. The themes are clear and relevant, the research is meticulous. It is fun to read in places; some of the stories about counsel and judges, even academics, make one smile. Of course, many of those characters express themselves wonderfully, which also makes for a good read. -- Dawn Oliver * Cambridge Law Journal, Volume 73(2) *The book is a mine of information...Patterson has assembled detailed evidence about what happens behind closed doors...[A] marvellous read and an outstanding work of legal scholarship. -- Sir Ross Cranston * Journal of Law and Society, Volume 41(4) *…the book makes an invaluable contribution to our understanding of judicial decision-making, since it is based on information that was unavailable so far, and without Paterson’s research would have been lost to posterity. It is not an exaggeration to say that Final Judgment “provides a compelling and unrivalled view” into appellate judicial decision-making in the UK (i), and must be compulsory reading for everyone interested in how the UK Supreme Court works. -- Tamas Gyorfi * The Edinburgh Law Review *Table of Contents1: Introduction, Context and Methodology Sources and Methodology Judicial Notebooks Elite Interviews The Drawbacks of Oral History Definitions 2: The Dialogue with Counsel Introduction The Context of the Dialogue Between Counsel and the Judges in the Final Court Expectations which Constrain Initiating the Dialogue The Courtroom Dialogue How has the Dialogue Between Counsel and The Court Changed? Have the Qualities of Good Appellate Advocacy Changed? Persuasive Advocacy Robustness and Resilience Courage Timing Written Advocacy Does Advocacy Matter in the Final Court? Case Studies in Effective Advocacy Factors Which Make a Difference Conclusion 3: Dialogues with Colleagues—The Stages for Discourse Introduction The Preparatory Stages Laying the Groundwork Involvement in Permission to Appeal Decisions Being Chosen: The Selection of the Hearing Panel Doing the Homework: Reading of the Preliminary Materials The Oral Hearing Judicial Dialogues in the Courtroom Conclaves Off-stage: Dialogue Outside the Courtroom The First Conference Sharing of Preliminary Conclusions and Discussion The Allocation of the Lead Judgment Implications for the Future The Drafting Stage Order and Production of Circulation Multiple Judgments and the Pursuit of Unity Dissenting Opinions Circulation Time Conclusion 4: Dialogues with Colleagues—Efficacy in Judicial Dialogues Introduction Context Stages Time and Timing The Composition of the Panel Approaches to Collective Decision-Making: The Art of Persuasion Engagement of Judgments Team-working Leadership in the House of Lords Dissents, Individualism and Collegiality Task Leadership and the US Supreme Court Social Leadership Leadership Skills in the Supreme Court Social Leadership in the Supreme Court Geography Conclusion 5: Inter-Judicial Dialogues in Practice Voting Relationships Changes of Mind The Bingham Era 2000–09 The UK Supreme Court 2009–13 Conclusion 6: Wider Dialogues Old and New The Dialogue with the Court of Appeal The Dialogue with Academics Dialogues with Courts Overseas The Dialogue with Strasbourg Scots Appeals and London: A Fraught Relationship? Deference The Devolution Issues Jurisdiction Conclusion The Dialogue with Judicial Assistants The Job of the Judicial Assistant 7: The Dialogue with Other Branches of Government Setting the Scene The Dialogue with Parliament Judicial Activism and its Drawbacks Hard Cases Make Bad Law Justice, Certainty and Fairness Drawing the Line Who Really Draws the Line? Where Should the Lines be Drawn? Arguments from Parliamentary Activity and Inactivity Lines of Communication Conclusion The Dialogue with the Executive Intra-governmental Relations Attempts by the Executive to Engage with the Court Accountability The Challenge of Accountability 8: Final Reflections

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Book SynopsisThis book offers a unique look at rural access to justice through a series of personal and professional reflections by leading scholars in the field. Engaging a position sensibility, it explores how our identities, class backgrounds, and professional privileges shape research and writing in rural placesand how those rural places in turn shape us.This is an important collection, for while rural justice gaps are well-documented, considerably less has been written about the distinct opportunities that rural communities present for collaborative research, innovation, and policy development. The book offers us an honest, reflexive accounting of what has been done, why, and what's next to dismantle academic barriers and promote meaningful work on rural access to justice. As a call to still deeper engagement with rurality, this book will inspire readers to consider rural place in their studies of lawand to consider their own place in scholarship on access to justice.

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Book SynopsisPocket Ruth Bader Ginsburg Wisdom is an inspired collection of some of the most empowering and impactful quotes from the powerhouse associate justice of the US Supreme Court. After a quarter century serving on the highest court in America and fighting tirelessly for gender equality and civil rights, RBG has become one of the most influential legal figures in the history of the country. From her landmark cases working with the ACLU to her brilliantly meme-worthy moments of dissent, RBG is a true American trailblazer.

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Book SynopsisThe essays in this volume attempt to explore and elucidate some of the legal and constitutional complexities of the relationship between the EU and the WTO, focusing particularly on the impact of the latter and its relevance for the former. The effect of WTO norms is evident across a broad range of European economic and social policy fields, affecting regulatory and distributive policies alike. A number of significant areas have been selected in this book to exemplify the scope and intensity of impact, including EC single market law, external trade, structural and cohesion funding, cultural policy, social policy, and aspects of public health and environmental policy. Certain chapters seek to examine the legal and political points of intersection between the two legal orders, and many of the essays explore in different ways the normative dimension of the relationship between the EU and the WTO and the legitimacy claims of the latter.Trade Review…the various chapters provide a useful and well-informed account of the evolution of EU-WTO relations, even for those who find constitutionalisation a distant horizon. -- Joanna Gomula, University of London * Europarttslig Tidskrift *All in all, this is a very important book on a very important issue for international lawyers; for academics with a special interest in international economic law (or, more modestly, in WTO law) it is essential reading. -- Peter Hilpold, University of Innsbruck * European Journal of International Law *Table of Contents1. The Impact of the WTO on EU Decision-making Gráinne de Búrca and Joanne Scott 2. The EU and the WTO: Constitutionalism in a New Key Neil Walker 3. The WTO and the EU: Some Constitutional Comparisons Peter Holmes 4. European and International Constitutional Law: Time for Promoting ‘Cosmopolitan Democracy’ in the WTO Ernst-Ulrich Petersmann 5. Fundamental Right or Political Whim? WTO Law and the European Court of Justice Steve Peers 6. Collision, Co-existence or Co-operation? Prospects for the Relationship between WTO Law and European Union Law Armin von Bogdandy and Tilman Makatsch 7. Neutrality or Discrimination? The WTO, the EU and External Trade Marise Cremona 8. The WTO and EU Distributive Policy: the Case of Regional Promotion and Assistance Thomas Cottier and Christophe Germann 9. Constitutional Concepts for Free Trade in Services Piet Eeckhout 10. Trade in Culture: International Legal Regimes and EU Constitutional Values Bruno de Witte 11. Is there any Such Thing as Free or Fair Trade? A Constitutional Analysis of the Impact of International Trade on the European Social Model Miguel Poiares Maduro 12. The WTO Impact on Internal Regulations: A Case Study of the Canada–EC Asbestos Dispute Rob Howse and Elisabeth Tuerk

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Book SynopsisThis book contains the first major comparative study of litigation costs and methods of funding litigation in more than 30 jurisdictions. It was linked with the most comprehensive review of costs ever carried out in England and Wales by Lord Justice Jackson in 2009 and benefited from the assistance of leading practitioners around the globe. The study analyses the principles and rules that relate to paying courts, witnesses and lawyers, and the rules on cost shifting, if any. It also notes the major ways in which litigation can be funded, identifying the global trend on contraction of legal aid, the so far limited spread of contingency fees, and the growing new phenomenon of private third party litigation funding. The study also presents the results of nine case studies of typical claim types, so as to give a first overview comparison of which countries' legal systems are cheaper or more expensive. The book further contains national chapters with in depth analysis contributed by scholars in 18 jurisdictions (Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, England & Wales, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan and USA) and a further chapter on Latin American jurisdictions. 'Dr Hodges, Professor Vogenauer and Dr Tulibacka have conducted an excellent and thorough comparative study of litigation costs and funding across a wide range of jurisdictions ('the Oxford study'). The Oxford study is important, because it provides both context and background for any critical examination of our own costs and funding rules...I commend this book both for its breadth and detail and also for its percipient commentary. This work will make a valuable contribution to the debate which lies ahead about how the costs and funding rules of England and Wales should be reformed in order to promote access to justice.' From the Foreword by Lord Justice Jackson, Royal Courts of Justice, 16th July 2010Trade ReviewWhat a treasure trove...most informative...a source of empirical findings and legal policy conclusions of the highest order VRiLG Lothar Junemann Notar 9/2012Table of ContentsPart I: The Oxford Study on Costs and Funding of Civil Litigation Christopher Hodges, Stefan Vogenauer and Magdalena Tulibacka Introduction Section 1: National Approaches to Costs and Funding of Civil Litigation Section 2: The Price of Litigation: A Comparison of Jurisdictions Section 3: Policy Issues and Recommendations Section 4: Summary of Findings Tables and Appendices Questionnaire Table 1: Basis of charges for court fees and lawyers' fees Table 2: Success and contingency fees Table 3: Total minimum cost to claimant in the case studies Table 4: Claimant and defendant costs in the case studies Table 5: Ranges of court fees and lawyers' hourly rates Table 6: Currency conversion rates used in the case studies Part II: National Reports 1. An Introduction to the Range of National Approaches Christopher Hodges 2. Australia Camille Cameron 3. Belgium Vincent Sagaert and Ilse Samoy 4. Canada Eriks S Knutsen and Janet Walker 5. The People's Republic of China Michael Palmer and Chao Xi 6. Denmark Kristine Svenningsen, Jan-Erik Svensson and Anders Orgaard 7. England and Wales John Peysner 8. England and Wales: Christopher Hodges Summary of the Jackson Costs Review 9. England and Wales: Woolf for Slow Learners John Peysner 10. France A. Theoretical Perspectives Yvon Desdevises B. The Rules on Funding and Costs Anne-Laure Villedieu 11. Germany Burkhard Hess and Rudolf Hubner 12. Japan Ikuo Sugawara and Eri Osaka 13. Latin America: Manuel A Gomez A Regional Report 14. The Netherlands Mark L Tuil 15. The Netherlands: Policy Observations Paulien M M van der Grinten 16. New Zealand Kim Economides and Graham Taylor 17. Poland Magdalena Tulibacka 18. Portugal Henrique Sousa Antunes 19. Russia Dmitry Maleshin 20. Spain Aranzazu Calzadilla Medina, Carlos Trujillo Cabrera and Alejandro Ferreres Comella 21. Switzerland Walter A Stoffel and James F Reardon 22. Taiwan Kuan-Ling Shen and Helena HC Chen 23. The United States of America Deborah R Hensler

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Book SynopsisWinner of the Inner Temple book prize 2015 and the Socio-Legal Studies Association Book prize 2014/15 The House of Lords, for over 300 years the UK's highest court, was transformed in 2009 into the UK Supreme Court. This book provides a compelling and unrivalled view into the workings of the Court during its final decade, and into the formative years of the Supreme Court. Drawing on over 100 interviews, including more than 40 with Law Lords and Justices, and uniquely, some of their judicial notebooks, this is a landmark study of appellate judging 'from the inside' by an author whose earlier work on the House of Lords has provided a scholarly benchmark for over 30 years. The book demonstrates that appellate decision-making in the UK's final court remains a social and collective process, primarily because of the dialogues which take place between the judges and the key groups with which they interact when reaching their decisions. As the book shows, the forms of dialogue are now more varied, yet the most significant dialogues continue to be with their fellow Law Lords and Justices, and with counsel. To these, new dialogues have been added, namely those with foreign courts (especially Strasbourg) and with judicial assistants, which have subtly altered the tenor and import of their other dialogues. The research reveals that, unlike the English Court of Appeal, the House of Lords in its last decade was only intermittently collegial since Lord Bingham's philosophy of appellate judging left opinion writing, concurrences and dissents largely to individual preference. In the Supreme Court, however, there has been a marked shift to team working and collective decision-making bringing with it challenges and occasional tensions not seen in the final years of the House of Lords. The work shows that effectiveness in group-decision making in the final court turns in part on the stages when dialogues occur, in part on the geography of the court and in part on the task leadership and social leadership skills of the judges involved in particular cases. The passing of the Human Rights Act and the expansion in judicial review over the last 30 years have dramatically altered the two remaining dialogues - those with Parliament and with the Executive. With the former, the dialogue has grown more distant, with the latter, more problematic, than was the case 40 years ago. The last chapter rehearses where the changing dialogues have left the UK's final court. Ironically, despite the oft applauded commitment of the new Court to public visibility, the book concludes that even greater transparency in the dialogue with the public may be required. 'The way appellate judges at the highest level behave to each other, to counsel, with other branches of government and with other courts is brought under closer scrutiny in this book than ever before…The remarkable width and depth of his examination…has resulted in a work of real scholarship, which all those who are interested in how appellate courts work all over the common law world will find especially valuable.' From the foreword by Lord Hope of Craighead KT 'Alan Paterson's knowledge and interest in the Supreme Court, coupled with his expertise as a lawyer who understands the legal system and the judicial process, make him a perfect chronicler and assessor of what the Court's role is and what it should be, and how it functions and how it might improve.' Lord Neuberger, President of the Supreme CourtTrade Review...an admirably researched, readable and fascinating addition to the growing literature on how judges go about their work. -- Michael Zander * New Law Journal, Volume 164, Issue number 7594 *Unless you're a Supreme Court Justice or a retired Law Lord, this book offers you the best available insight into how our highest court operates. In fact, even if you are on the Supreme Court, you're likely to learn something from Final Judgment. What I've not told you is how unusually gripping Final Judgment is. Reading it over the Christmas holiday, I found it hard to put down – something I don't often feel when reading academic works. More than anything else, Final Judgment is a work of human intelligence about the inner workings of one of our most important institutions. I'll be rereading it soon, and revisiting it often. -- Carl Gardner * Head of Legal *...a wise, perceptive, and at times funny work of scholarship... ...there is a huge amount of interest in this book for anyone interested in the judicial process. It is far from reverential, and the reader will come away with a much better idea of how judges at the top of the tree really make their decisions. -- David Hart QC * UK Human Rights Law Blog *Mandatory reading for anyone professing interest in the common law. -- Richard Susskind * The Times *...ground-breaking... -- Frances Gibb * The Times *[An] entertaining and informative account of his discussions with Supreme Court judges -- David Pannick QC * The Times *This fascinating and compelling account of the two courts before, during and after the transition, is a superb sequel to the author’s first detailed examination of the UK final court of appeal. -- Derek O’Carroll * Scottish Legal Action Group Bulletin *[This] marvelous new book [is one] that anyone teaching or writing about the U.S. Supreme Court or equivalent courts around the world should read. -- Herbert M. Kritzer * Law and Politics Book Review, Volume 24, Number 3 *The book is a true work of scholarship. With great clarity and with the assistance of empirical research, it takes the reader deep into the judicial decision making process and explores the factors which impact on that process. It provides the reader with a unique and captivating insight into the inner working of the highest court in the country and explains the consequences of the dialogues which the judges engage in and the impact these have upon the judicial thinking and will be welcome to academics and practitioners alike. -- Masood Ahmed * Civil Justice Quarterly, Volume 33(3) *It is both a fascinating survey and real life 'behind the scenes' review of the work of the Law Lords ... and their role in the highest court in the land. The work is unique in providing intimate portraits revealing the character and idiosyncrasies of the individuals who determine and apply the law at the ultimate level, because Paterson understands something that the Victorians also knew: that to comprehend the reasons why judgments are reached, one has to look beyond the mere 'letter of the law'. There is so much in this book that a review like this can only highlight some of the immediate and obvious points of interest, likewise it is difficult to offer any critical comment. There is a wealth of contextual information, examples and details that others will easily find engrossing and of significant relevance. -- Kim Stevenson * Law, Crime and History, Volume 2, 2014 *This is an excellent monograph. The themes are clear and relevant, the research is meticulous. It is fun to read in places; some of the stories about counsel and judges, even academics, make one smile. Of course, many of those characters express themselves wonderfully, which also makes for a good read. -- Dawn Oliver * Cambridge Law Journal, Volume 73(2) *The book is a mine of information...Patterson has assembled detailed evidence about what happens behind closed doors...[A] marvellous read and an outstanding work of legal scholarship. -- Sir Ross Cranston * Journal of Law and Society, Volume 41(4) *…the book makes an invaluable contribution to our understanding of judicial decision-making, since it is based on information that was unavailable so far, and without Paterson’s research would have been lost to posterity. It is not an exaggeration to say that Final Judgment “provides a compelling and unrivalled view” into appellate judicial decision-making in the UK (i), and must be compulsory reading for everyone interested in how the UK Supreme Court works. -- Tamas Gyorfi * The Edinburgh Law Review *Table of Contents1: Introduction, Context and Methodology Sources and Methodology Judicial Notebooks Elite Interviews The Drawbacks of Oral History Definitions 2: The Dialogue with Counsel Introduction The Context of the Dialogue Between Counsel and the Judges in the Final Court Expectations which Constrain Initiating the Dialogue The Courtroom Dialogue How has the Dialogue Between Counsel and The Court Changed? Have the Qualities of Good Appellate Advocacy Changed? Persuasive Advocacy Robustness and Resilience Courage Timing Written Advocacy Does Advocacy Matter in the Final Court? Case Studies in Effective Advocacy Factors Which Make a Difference Conclusion 3: Dialogues with Colleagues—The Stages for Discourse Introduction The Preparatory Stages Laying the Groundwork Involvement in Permission to Appeal Decisions Being Chosen: The Selection of the Hearing Panel Doing the Homework: Reading of the Preliminary Materials The Oral Hearing Judicial Dialogues in the Courtroom Conclaves Off-stage: Dialogue Outside the Courtroom The First Conference Sharing of Preliminary Conclusions and Discussion The Allocation of the Lead Judgment Implications for the Future The Drafting Stage Order and Production of Circulation Multiple Judgments and the Pursuit of Unity Dissenting Opinions Circulation Time Conclusion 4: Dialogues with Colleagues—Efficacy in Judicial Dialogues Introduction Context Stages Time and Timing The Composition of the Panel Approaches to Collective Decision-Making: The Art of Persuasion Engagement of Judgments Team-working Leadership in the House of Lords Dissents, Individualism and Collegiality Task Leadership and the US Supreme Court Social Leadership Leadership Skills in the Supreme Court Social Leadership in the Supreme Court Geography Conclusion 5: Inter-Judicial Dialogues in Practice Voting Relationships Changes of Mind The Bingham Era 2000–09 The UK Supreme Court 2009–13 Conclusion 6: Wider Dialogues Old and New The Dialogue with the Court of Appeal The Dialogue with Academics Dialogues with Courts Overseas The Dialogue with Strasbourg Scots Appeals and London: A Fraught Relationship? Deference The Devolution Issues Jurisdiction Conclusion The Dialogue with Judicial Assistants The Job of the Judicial Assistant 7: The Dialogue with Other Branches of Government Setting the Scene The Dialogue with Parliament Judicial Activism and its Drawbacks Hard Cases Make Bad Law Justice, Certainty and Fairness Drawing the Line Who Really Draws the Line? Where Should the Lines be Drawn? Arguments from Parliamentary Activity and Inactivity Lines of Communication Conclusion The Dialogue with the Executive Intra-governmental Relations Attempts by the Executive to Engage with the Court Accountability The Challenge of Accountability 8: Final Reflections

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Book SynopsisThis book brings together feminist academics and lawyers to present an impressive collection of alternative judgments in a series of Australian legal cases. By re-imagining original legal decisions through a feminist lens, the collection explores the possibilities, limits and implications of feminist approaches to legal decision-making. Each case is accompanied by a brief commentary that places it in legal and historical context and explains what the feminist rewriting does differently to the original case. The cases not only cover topics of long-standing interest to feminist scholars – such as family law, sexual offences and discrimination law – but also areas which have had less attention, including Indigenous sovereignty, constitutional law, immigration, taxation and environmental law. The collection contributes a distinctly Australian perspective to the growing international literature investigating the role of feminist legal theory in judicial decision-making.Trade ReviewAustralian Feminist Judgments is a valuable extension of the emerging feminist judgement-writing genre. -- Heather Roberts * Legal Studies, Vol 35(3) *The book is a fascinating and refreshing approach to judging. It will no doubt find a ready place in Law Schools, but more widely among the judiciary and the practising profession. -- Greg Reinhardt * Journal of Judicial Administration, 2015 *Australian Feminist Judgemenst: Righting and Rewriting Law enlivens the reader's imagination about the real transformative potential of feminist legal reasoning. -- KCasey McLoughlin * Alternative Law Journal, 40:2 2015 *...a marvellous sweep through all aspects of contemporary Australian judgments...You will never look at a judgment the same way again... -- Jennifer Giles * Workplace Review, 6:32 *Australian Feminist Judgments ably and engagingly achieves its stated objective...the editors' innovations from the pre-existing models of feminist judgments...ensures that Australian Feminist Judgments provides rich material through which to consider feminist judging's nature, purpose and impact. -- Heather Roberts and Laura Sweeney * Sydney Law Review *The judgments are eloquent, well-reasoned, realistic, and above all, interesting... Australian Feminist Judgments: Righting and Rewriting Law will appeal to a wide audience - particularly judges, academics, legal practitioners, law students and people who are interested in feminism or legal jurisprudence. -- Betheli O'Carroll * Griffith Law Review *Australian Feminist Judgments is academic but accessible, and it is sure to spark many debates on the role of feminist jurisprudence...It reminds us that change within existing legal frameworks is possible. -- Caroline Jones * Portia *Table of Contents1 Introduction: Righting Australian Law Heather Douglas, Francesca Bartlett, Trish Luker and Rosemary Hunter 2 Reflections on Rewriting the Law Heather Douglas, Francesca Bartlett, Trish Luker and Rosemary Hunter Part I Public Law Constitutional Law 3 Kartinyeri v The Commonwealth [1998] HCA Commentary: Kathy Bowrey First Nations Stories, Grandmother’s Law: Too Many Stories to Tell: Irene Watson 4 R v Pearson; Ex parte Sipka [1983] HCA 6 Feminism and the Franchise: Elisa Arcioni Judgment: Kim Rubenstein 5 Dietrich v R [1992] HCA Commentary: Margaret Davies Judgment: Reg Graycar and Jenny Morgan Tax Law 6 Lodge v Federal Commissioner of Taxation [1972] HCA Commentary: Ann O’Connell Judgment: Kerrie Sadiq Immigration Law 7 Re Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs;Ex parte Applicants S134/2002 [2003] HCA 1 Roqia’s Story: Refugees and Natural Justice in the Court of Public Opinion: Mary Crock Judgment: Charlotte Steer 8 Appellant S395/2002 v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs[2003] HCA Commentary: Wayne Morgan Judgment: Nan Seuffert Environmental Law 9 Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland Proserpine/Whitsunday Branch Inc v Minister for the Environment and Heritage [2006] FCA Addressing Climate Change Inequities: The Contribution of a Feminist Judgment: Jacqueline Peel Judgment: Lee Godden Part II Private Law Torts 10 Cattanach v Melchior [2003] HCA The Economic Value of Human Relationships: Cattanach v Melchior Revisited: Isabel Karpin Judgment: Kylie Burns Consumer Protection 11 ACCC v Keshow [2005] FCA Unconscionability, Education and Indigenous Women: Bronwyn Naylor Judgment: Heron Loban Equity 12 Louth v Diprose [1992] HCA 61 Give and Take: Unconscionability and the Pervasiveness of Gender Stereotypes: Paula Baron Judgment: Francesca Bartlett 13 Trustees of the Property of John Daniel Cummins, a Bankrupt v Cummins [2006] HCA 6 Formal Equality and Third Party Interests in the Family Home: Francesca Bartlett Judgment: Lisa Sarmas Part III Crime and Evidence Criminal Law 14 Parker v R [1963] HCA 14 Reconsidering Precedent: Heather Douglas Judgment: Adrian Howe 15 Taikato v R [1996] HCA 28 A Well-founded Fear? Giving Context to Self-defence: Julie Stubbs Judgment: Penny Crofts and Isabella Alexander 16 PGA v R [2012] HCA 21 Admitting Legal Wrongs: Ngaire Naffine Judgment: Wendy Larcombe and Mary Heath Evidence 17 RPS v R [2000] HCA 3 Commentary: Katherine Biber Judgment: Helen O’Sullivan 18 Phillips v R [2006] HCA 4 Locating Consent in Similar-Fact Cases: Mehera San Roque Judgment: Annie Cossins Sentencing 19 R v Webster [1990] NSWSC 70012/90 Truth in Sentencing: The Narration of Judgment: Kirsty Duncanson Judgment: Honni van Rijswijk and Lesley Townsley 20 R v Middendorp [2010] VSC 202 Defensive Homicide: JaneMaree Maher Judgment: Kate Fitz-Gibbon, Danielle Tyson and Jude McCulloch 21 R v Morgan [2010] VSCA 15 Intersectionality and Indigenous Sentencing Courts: Heather Douglas Judgment: Elena Marchetti and Janet Ransley Part IV Interpreting Equality Family Law 22 U v U [2002] HCA 36 Commentary: Rachael Field Judgment: Jonathan Crowe 23 Goode and Goode [2006] FamCA 1 The Practice of Feminist Judgment in Family Law: Ann Genovese Judgment: Zoe Rathus and Renata Alexander Discrimination Law 24 JM v QFG and GK [1998] KCA Commentary: Paula Gerber Judgment: Anita Stuhmcke 25 McLeod v Power [2003] FMCA 2 Commentary: Katharine Gelber Judgment: Jennifer Nielsen 26 The State of New South Wales v Amery [2006] HCA 14 The Indirection of Sex Discrimination: Margaret Thornton Judgment: Beth Gaze Treaty Law 27 In the matter of Djappari (Re Tuckiar) [2035] FNCA 1 Commentary: Thalia Anthony Judgment: Nicole Watson

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Book SynopsisThis book shows how adversary trial evolved in England only in the 18th century. Its origins and significance have tended to go unrecognised by judges, lawyers, jurists and researchers until relatively modern times when conflict has become a key social issue. Even now, there is a major dispute as to how and why adversary trial came into existence and little connection has been made with its contribution to the genesis of many rules of evidence and procedure and the modern-day doctrine of human rights - whereby citizens are able to take a stand against the power of the state or vested interests. John Hostettler sets the record straight. John Hostettler is an eminent commentator on criminal justice and its history. In this book he focuses not only on the birth and meaning of adversary trial but also on the historic central role of the lawyer and advocate Sir William Garrow Hostettler assesses how deep-rooted is the notion of opposing parties in the common law, the English psyche and thus within other countries such as the USA that have followed the same model - whereby lawyers champion opposing causes. One aim of the book is to provide an aid to understanding of present-day moves for reform in the direction of restorative methods by outlining the contribution that adversary trial has made to the development of common law systems. 'Interestingly characterises the emergence of adversary trial, in which defence counsel is allowed to cross-examine the prosecution, as the genesis of a recognisably modern human rights culture, which has subsequently expanded across the developed world': Thames ViewTrade Review'Interestingly characterises the emergence of adversary trial, in which defence counsel is allowed to cross-examine the prosecution, as the genesis of a recognisably modern human rights culture, which has subsequently expanded across the developed world.'Thames View (June 2007)Table of ContentsAcknowledgementsPreface1. What is Adversary Trial?2. No Counsel for Prisoners3. Treason Trials Act: the Birth of Adversary Trial4. Rights of the Individual5. Sir William Garrow6. Garrow at the Old Bailey (1)7. Garrow at the Old Bailey (2)8. Rules of Criminal Evidence9. Counsel Finally Address the Jury10. ConclusionGlossary 1 Judicial and Historical TermsGlossary 2 Crimes Tried Frequently at the Old BaileyBibliographyAppendixIndex

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Book SynopsisThe Ouija board jury incident of 1994 is one of the most disconcerting in English legal history, possibly (says the author) 'the nadir of reported juror misbehaviour in the 20th-century'. But, as Professor Jeremy Gans shows, in an era of soundbites it has been distorted by the media whilst even eminent lawyers have sometimes got the story wrong. In this first full-length treatment he emphasises the known facts, the constitutional dilemma of investigating even bizarre jury misbehaviour and how the trial involved one of the most serious murder cases of the decade in which two people were shot in cold blood. Stephen Young's conviction after a re-trial is still claimed to be a miscarriage of justice by some people, as to which Gans puts forward his own ingenious solution. But quite apart from analysing the facts of R v Young, this book is a tour de force on jury misbehaviour in which the author also examines the implications for example of winks and nods, research by jurors, speaking or listening out of turn, going to sleep during the hearing or falling in love with one of the advocates. Amusing at first sight, such events involve deep questions of law, practice and democratic involvement in the Criminal Justice process. Far from being a mere anecdote, the case of the Ouija board jurors, the misconceptions about it and the issues it leads to deserve close study by anyone who is even remotely interested in jury trial. The first full length treatment of an iconic case. Dispels the myths that have built-up around it. Looks at other instances of jury misbehaviour. Shows how the courts and Parliament have wrestled with problems of this kind. A first-rate analysis of a baffling double murder.Trade Review'Gans analyses the case in depth and incorporates many other cases where juror misconduct has also occurred. What I really enjoyed was his ability to consider the situation from a number of hypothetical perspectives to further analyse the conduct of juries and jury members... he highlights a number of the issues which currently still exist in the jury system'-- Academic Traveller; `Very interesting and amusing'-- Ronald Bartle; 'An excellent read - both for the layperson with little or no knowledge of the courtroom and the more experienced professional as it provides a different window through which we see our system'-- Bob Turney; As featured on abc.net.au and in the ABC podcast Jurors Behaving Badly.Table of ContentsForeword. A Juror's Letter; Flash Harry; Only a Game; Iceman; Mansfield's Window; The Horrid Part; Such a Fearful Spectre; Afterword. Index.

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Book Synopsis

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