English Legal System: The Fundamentals

Author: Jo Boylan-Kemp

Price: £22.95

Edition: 1st Edition (August 2008)

ISBN: 978-1-84703-402-1

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Sweet & Maxwell have published a number of texts in its 'fundamentals' series.  Following in a similar vein, English Legal System: The Fundamentals aims to do exactly 'what it says on the tin' and explain the fundamentals of the English legal system whilst also highlighting and addressing the issues that can be found within it.  To my mind, it is an excellent text and superbly combines succinct commentary with a number of figures to help the reader's understanding.

English Legal System: The Fundamentals assumes the reader has little, if any, legal experience.  This means that the text is basic (although this is helpful most of the time!) but it clearly explains the fundamental issues in the English legal system.  The author's use of diagrams and flow-charts (which are, in the main, excellent) also help to build upon the reader's knowledge and appreciation of the English legal system.  Similarly, the author includes a list of further reader which encourages the reader to undertake further and independent research.

Unlike a number of similar texts, English Legal System: The Fundamentals includes a number of self-test questions at the end of each chapter and (importantly) answers at the back of the text.  This allows readers to test their knowledge and understanding of the materials.  Unfortunately, there is a minor typographical error in the answers because one of the chapter headings is missed out: this initially bamboozled me!  That said, this is a minor error in an otherwise well-written and structured summary of the fundamental principles and issues in the English legal system.

For the many students who tackle law for the first time as either an undergraduate or as an 'A' level student, English Legal System: The Fundamentals is an extremely welcome text.  It does exactly what it proposes to do and, whilst I would have liked some more detail at times, this may have gone beyond the author's aim.  I am, however, a massive fan of the flow charts and figures which provide excellent clarity when students are, at this stage in their careers, often bombarded with a considerable amount of material.

Reviewed on 4 May 2009

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