Introduction to the English Legal System 2017-2018

Martin Partington is a qualified barrister and Emeritus Professor of Law and Senior Research Fellow at the University of Bristol. For five years he was Law Commissioner and was retained by the Law Commission as a special consultant in order to complete its major programme of work on the reform of housing law until 2008. He was a special 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.

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.
Consolidating 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.This book is accompanied by an excellent Online Resource Centre, which houses: questions for reflection and discussion; multiple choice questions; a glossary; further reading materials; web links; and a link to Martin Partington's blog, which covers his views on key developments in the English justice system.

Introduction to the English Legal System is the ideal foundation for those 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, whilst also challenging assumptions and exploring current debates.

Part I Introduction; 1 Aims, themes, and structure; Part II Law, Society, and Authority; 2 Law and society: the purposes and functions of law; 3 Law-making: authority and process; Part III The Structure of the Legal System; 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 system; Part IV The Delivery and Funding of Legal Services; 9 Delivering legal services: practitioners, adjudicators, and legal scholars; 10 Funding legal services; Part V Conclusion; 11 The transformation of the English legal system: pressures and challenges