Lord Woolf's judicial career has spanned four decades, culminating in five years as Lord Chief Justice. Now 26 of his most influential papers and lectures are published together for the first time. They present a remarkable overview and commentary on the judicial and legal reforms of recent decades, and span a huge range of issues including the rule of law and the constitution, the role of judges, access to justice, human rights, medicine, the environment, crime and penal reform. Each paper discusses the challenges that have arisen in English common law in recent times and the way they have been solved or attempted to be solved to ensure that justice is done -
so that arrests and searches are made properly, that there are fair hearings, readily available lawful remedies, and the removal of unnecessary costs and delays.
In his introductory chapter, Lord Woolf provides a fresh account of his current thinking on key legal areas resonating from the main topics and themes presented in the papers. The Pursuit of Justice offers an unparalleled insight into the views of one of the most influential figures in recent British legal history.
Features
- Compiles updated versions of Lord Woolf's most cited papers and lectures written and delivered in his capacity as a judge
- Includes an introductory chapter where Lord Woolf expresses his current thinking on key legal areas of recent concern resonating from the main topics and themes in the papers
- Provides a detailed account of the main judicial and legal reforms over recent decades, illustrating Lord Woolf's personal views and contributions
- A central theme is that to do justice according to law the judiciary must deliver pragmatic decisions on the facts of each case by considering the justice of the case in question and the text of the law, demonstrating the creative nature of common law judicial decision-making
- Covers a broad range of topics including: the Rule of Law and the English Constitution; Judging, the Judiciary and the Executive; Access to Justice, Public Law and Judicial Review; Human Rights; Medical Law; Law and the Environment; Crime and Penal Reform; and Legal Education
Chronology
Introduction
PART 1: THE ENGLISH LEGAL SYSTEM
1A Question of Balance
2Remedies
3Droit Public - English Style
4The Education the Justice System Requires Today
PART II: THE CONSTITUTION AND THE JUDICIARY
5Magna Carta: A Precedent for Recent Constitutional Change
6The Rule of Law and a Change in the Constitution
7Judicial Review - The Tensions Between the Executive and Judiciary
8Should the Media and the Judiciary be on Speaking Terms?
9Judicial Independence Not Judicial Isolation
10The Needs of a 21st Century Judge
11Current Challenges in Judging
12The Impact of Human Rights
13Human Rights and Minorities
PART III: CRIME AND PENAL REFORM
14The Strangeways Prison Report: Overview and Recommendations
15Strangeways: A Decade of Change?
16A Justice System the Community Owns
17Do We Need a New Approach to Penal Policy?
18Making Sense of Sentencing
PART IV: CIVIL JUSTICE
19Access to Justice Final Report: Overview
20Medics, Lawyers and the Courts- A Defence of the Access to Justice Recommendations
21Are the Courts Excessively Deferential to the Medical Profession?
22Are the Judiciary Environmentally Myopic?
23Environmental Law and Sustainable Development
PART V: INTERNATIONAL LEGAL SYSTEMS
24The International Role of the Judiciary
25The Rule of Law and the Development of a Modern Economy in China
26The Rule of Law and Harmony in China
Primary market: Civil and criminal legal practitioners; judges; academics and students both in the UK and worldwide.
Secondary market: Due to the public prominence of Lord Woolf as former Lord Chief Justice, there is also a significant secondary market through trade outlets.
