Landmarks in the Law

I liked it. i only paid a few pound for my copy, including delivery. Good read! I'm not intellectual and I find books boring, so if do consider that I read this easily, then it must be worth a purchase.

This should be on the school curriculum - it is so informative

When you begin reading this book, it is important to bear in mind that Lord Denning was a senior judge, and therefore is not likely to write in the same way that you or I would. Think of musty rooms in an Oxbridge college, a decanter of brandy, and an open fire, and you'll be some way towards the mind-set needed to appreciate this book. That said, it is more approachable than many other judges would have been able to make it, and commentators often ascribe this to Denning's quirky sense of humour. The book itself is primarily made up of descriptions of the cases that have had such impact on the common law in use in the UK and abroad, that they have become the landmarks of the title. When I say descriptions, I don't mean dry court reports, but rather commentaries setting-out the backgrounds and facts of the cases, and the effects they've had on the law. I'm a (mature) law student myself, so have an interest in such matters - how wide an audience such a book has is difficult to say, but I suspect that if you enjoy legal theory and history you won't go far wrong with this book.

excellent

Very pleased

Here Lord Denning gives an outline and explanation of, in his opinion, some of the most important cases in English Law. It is a useful perspective for a law student, and the cases are written up in such a way as to be accessible to almost anyone, even those without any legal education whatsoever. I loved Lord Denning's books as a young law student. It felt like I was in some way "cheating" by reading them. Lord Denning has such a marvellous facility with language, he is able to explain the most difficult legal concepts and arcane terminology with absolute ease.This prior knowledge then put me at a massive advantage when debating with those who had not read them! His writing is famously idiosyncratic; he writes in very short sentences. No extra fat. Like this. It makes for quick reading. And quick understanding. He is an absolute gift for a student. But beware: there is an ambitious politician lurking behind those beady legal eyes. And, on more than one occasion, he could make decisions and hold opinions which appear egregious against his generally Classical Liberal ideology, to put it mildly. To put it bluntly, he sometimes acted like a creature of the Establishment. The Christine Keeler Affair and his ideas regarding miscarriages of justice, and the Police, spring to mind. (he once said that any letter he got from any prisoner claiming to be the victim of a miscarriage of justice "went straight in the bin.") However, that he was a stellar student and would have made a great academic lawyer is beyond question: he obtained a First in Mathematics from Oxford, returning to get a First in Law after only 9 months - an unprecedented feat. Herbert Warren, the Master of Magdalen, wrote to him after his success (where he was just one paper short - Jurisprudence - of a Congratulatory First): "You are a marked man, Tom Denning. Some day you will be Lord of Appeal." Interestingly, however, he failed the All Souls exam. Together with Lord Atkin, he was the greatest judge of the 20th C. If you are a law student at University, or are thinking of reading Law at University, you should already have read this book! In fact, you should by now have read all of his books! There really is no time to lose! You will be glad you did! If you just have a general curiosity regarding the law in this country, read this book. And again, read all of them. They are simply fantastic!

LANDMARKS IN THE LAW was written by Lord Alfred Thompson Denning MR, for exposing details of cases that strengthened and modernized British legal system known and practiced in commonwealth countries. Written specially for students with only "nodding acquaintances" of the law. The author is known to be articulate, incisive yet vivid in narrating stories spanning about 400 years of legal/constitutional history of immense dimension. He started with a prologue: "To every subject in this land, no matter how powerful, I would use Thomas Fuller's words over 300 years ago: Be you ever so high, the law is above you". Lord Denning MR - Gouriet V. Union of Post Office workers (1977) 1 QB 729, 761-762 The book was arranged in eight parts. Part I featured great High Treason case involving Sir Wlter Ralegh, Sir Roger Casement, William Joyce etc. Sir Walter Ralegh was a high profile case in which close to the end, Ralegh wrote a letter delivered in an apple to Cobham for exoneration. However attorney-General Sir Edward Coke would have none of it. He was found guilty in 1603 remanded until three years when he sought permission to go abroad pending execution. On his return in 1918 his appeal that his sentence has been pardoned failed and was executed. The author listed numerous legal errors: inadmissible evidence, travesty of justice etc that now characterized English legal system that would have stopped Ralegh from being hung, even though the facts portrayed him as enemy of King James Stuart. The trial of William Joyce a US citizen with British passport who had no allegiance to the king led to his execution in 1946 when his possession of British passport would have been a shield and king's duty to protect. Torture and bribery were discussed in Part II. They were once regarded as normal practice in England. Torture was used so as to get a man confess his guilt.... Bribery was used so as to influence a judge decide in favor of the briber. Thomas Wolsey and Thomas More (A son of Lincolns Inns) were accused of it, but it was not proved. Francis Bacon was accused of it and found guilty. In Part III the author discussed Equity as measured according to the Chancellor's foot i.e conscience whose sizes could be 12" 9" or 5". But the standard measure of the law is known. He noted in IV that a true martyr is one who does not seek credit for himself; suffers death because of his faith. And went furth in V to address the issue of Human Right found in Art.20 of UnDHR and right to peaceful assembly. William Penn son of Admiral while in prison wrote "No cross, No Crown". A Quaker who was tried for not conforming to Church of England was to leave England at 38 in 1682 to settle and founded the Penslavania state in America. Murder trial was discussed in XII. One of the most important principles of the criminal justice system is for the accused to be convicted the prosection must prove all the elements of the offence beyond reasonable doubt. It was the trial of Somerset milkman who shot Violet his wife accidentally in 1934. Woolmington v DPP came to establish the "golden thread" that the prosecution must prove offences beyond reasonable doubt. In Part VIII he recorded `most important cases' and guess what you find. They were cases in the ligher mood but of no less importance in the legal system. Loud rumors speaks of minister "in the mask" attending nude party with indiscriminate sexual intercourse. Another pictured headless man in amorous position with a lady not his wife. Next was John Profumo who was forced to resign as Secretary of state for War and as MP for Stratford in June 1963 after a scandalous relationship with Christine Keller found to be "security risk". The prime minister Mcmillan found his reputation damaged and equally resigned. The author headed a government inquiry that was considered `rumor" so put away and buried. In his Epilogue he gave insight into his Library, where the author spent most of his time. So rich with law reports of about 4 centuries and common market law reports. He also took interest in what goes on in Whitchurch including cricket. He undertook walk around the community. The author as a courier around his community and historic relics and lankmarks. Also recorded is the author's family life. Finally he quoted St Paul: Phil: 4:8 Landmarks in the Law

Excellent book about the fine points of English law.

Extremely brief facts. The extracts are too normal, not for someone interested in the skillful applications of legal knowledge to cases.