Lord Woolf: The Pursuit of Justice

Author: Christopher Campbell-Holt
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 9780199217090
Published In: March 2008
Format: Hardback , 448 pages
Jurisdiction: U.K. ? Disclaimer:
Countri(es) stated herein are used as reference only

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Contents
Author
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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

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.

Readership: 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.

Chronology
Introduction
PART 1: THE ENGLISH LEGAL SYSTEM
1: A Question of Balance
2: Remedies
3: Droit Public - English Style
4: The Education the Justice System Requires Today
PART II: THE CONSTITUTION AND THE JUDICIARY
5: Magna Carta: A Precedent for Recent Constitutional Change
6: The Rule of Law and a Change in the Constitution
7: Judicial Review - The Tensions Between the Executive and Judiciary
8: Should the Media and the Judiciary be on Speaking Terms?
9: Judicial Independence Not Judicial Isolation
10: The Needs of a 21st Century Judge
11: Current Challenges in Judging
12: The Impact of Human Rights
13: Human Rights and Minorities
PART III: CRIME AND PENAL REFORM
14: The Strangeways Prison Report: Overview and Recommendations
15: Strangeways: A Decade of Change?
16: A Justice System the Community Owns
17: Do We Need a New Approach to Penal Policy?
18: Making Sense of Sentencing
PART IV: CIVIL JUSTICE
19: Access to Justice Final Report: Overview
20: Medics, Lawyers and the Courts- A Defence of the Access to Justice Recommendations
21: Are the Courts Excessively Deferential to the Medical Profession?
22: Are the Judiciary Environmentally Myopic?
23: Environmental Law and Sustainable Development
PART V: INTERNATIONAL LEGAL SYSTEMS
24: The International Role of the Judiciary
25: The Rule of Law and the Development of a Modern Economy in China
26: The Rule of Law and Harmony in China

Lord Woolf, Former Lord Chief Justice, current Visiting Professor and Council Chairman at University College, and Christopher Campbell-Holt, Researcher, Norton Rose LLP

"The range of subject matter is remarkable and reflects the range of his work as a judge." - Philip Havers QC, Council

"There are 26 papers in all and they are highly readable. They have been expertly edited." - Philip Havers QC, Counsel.