Key Concepts in Law

Citation

Hannabuss, S. (2008), "Key Concepts in Law", Library Review, Vol. 57 No. 7, pp. 554-555. https://doi.org/10.1108/00242530810894095

This is a useful book in a useful series. Palgrave Macmillan's key concepts series includes accounting and finance, human resource management, marketing, information and communication technology, psychology, and now law. Ian McLeod is an experienced legal professional with teaching experience, and this shows through in his succinct, well‐chosen, and well‐explained glossary of key legal concepts.

Its focus is English law up to March 2006, even though it stretches beyond English law to European Community law where relevant. His introduction makes it clear that this is a book for readers coming to the study of law for the first time. By that token, it is a good reference work for the college and university library for students starting on law courses and those interested in checking legal issues that arise in other topics (like social policy, business, contract, property, and privacy).

It is also topical in its inclusion of concepts like rape and nuisance, murder and mortgage, human rights and squatters’ rights (under the term adverse possession). Coverage of central legal ideas like matters of fact and law, evidence and procedural fairness, mens rea and the compensation principle, justiciability (whether something should be brought to law) and interpretation are all there, clearly explained. Cross‐referencing is logical and easy to follow. Longer entries reflect more important issues and those needing more lavish explanation for readers at this introductory level – common and civil law, for example, defamation (suitable in an age of celebrity), and a good store of material on property and contract law.

Conceptually, too, the book shows an ability to shift gear into the doctrines and presumptions of the law (for instance, presumptions of statutory interpretation, the direct applicability of Community law) and into the structures of the law and the administration (for instance, the various courts, legislative supremacy of parliament, parliamentary privilege). Statutory law like the Human Rights Act can be found here, along with a comprehensive listing of terms associated with court process and function (binding precedent, injunction, damages, burden of proof, acquittal and first instance).

McLeod is also good and clear on his Latin terms – always a historical curiosity for newcomers, and often a barrier – not just familiar terms like alibi and de facto but others like “in re”, “ex parte”, “volenti non fit injuria” and “ratio decidendi”. Conceptually these are not museum pieces and McLeod shows how and why. Some French legal terms appear as well. Few cases are mentioned, and, although information can be found on sources of law and interpretation, this is not primarily a book to answer questions like that. Two others by McLeod (on legal method and legal theory, also from Palgrave Macmillan, might well fit the bill – go to www.palgrave.com).

With information of this kind, the book does a good job within its modest compass. As readers will infer from this review, key concepts in law will also be a useful desk resource for more experienced legal teachers who – from time to time – need to check what something means.