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Judge these books: The Secret Barrister on the best books about law

From Kafka’s The Trial to insightful accounts from barristers on their time in the courts, here are some outstanding titles to explain the legal system

No lawyer has a comprehensive knowledge of the labyrinthine law of our land, so quite how a member of the public is expected to understand all of the rules that bind us has long been a mystery to me. Nevertheless, even if the precise letter of the law will always be held captive by the legal profession, there are a number of fantastic books to help the general reader discern the law’s spirit.

The book that has earned the right to sit atop any list of legal books is The Rule of Law by Tom Bingham, the former lord chief justice. It explores a principle that underpins not merely the legal system, but the edifice of our democracy. Offering a definition of the principle as “all persons and authorities within the state, whether public or private, should be bound by and entitled to the benefit of laws publicly made, taking effect (generally) in the future and publicly administered in the courts”, Bingham charts with absolute clarity the historical development of the rule of law, how it works in practice and, most importantly, why it matters.

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from Culture | The Guardian https://ift.tt/3wIOsVv
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