In order to be effective, federal ethics law must address sources of systematic corruption rather than simply address motives that individual government employees might have to betray the public trust (such as personal financial holdings or family relationships). Getting the GovernmentAmerica Deserves articulates a general approach to combating systemic corruption as well as some specific proposals for doing so. Federal ethics law is relatively unknown in legal academia and elsewhere outside of Washington, D.C., but it is binding on over one million federal employees. Lobbyists, federal contractors, lawyers and others who interact with the federal government are also deeply interested in federal ethics law and represent a surprisingly large market for a little-studied area of the law.
Getting the Government America Deserves analyzes government ethics law from the perspective of an academic critic and that of a lawyer who was the chief White House ethics lawyer for two and a half years. Richard Painter argues that the existing ethics regime is in need of substantial reform since federal ethics laws fail to curtail conduct that undermines the integrity of government, such as political activity by federal employees and their interaction with lobbyists and interest groups. He also contends that in some other areas, such as personal financial conflicts of interest, there is too much complexity in regulatory and reporting requirements, and rules need to be simplified. Painter's solution includes strengthening the enforcement of ethics rules, reforming the lobbying industry, and changing a system of campaign finance that impedes meaningful government ethics reform.

An analysis of the divergent legal systems in England, France, Germany and Rome showing the relationship of the courts to the community, the legal structure and political organizations. The work examines the evolution of medieval French and German courts from the Roman canonist system. This study also explores the role of the local courts in England and examines in detail the workings and influence of a typical manor court, Redgrave, in Suffolk, England, (which was owned by Sir Nicholas Bacon, the father of Sir Francis Bacon) for the period up to 1711. Extensive notes, indexed. Scholars interested in the roots of the modern political structures in Europe will find this work of supreme benefit.

The law of restitution has developed apace, taking its doctrinal starting point for the most part from the principle of unjust enrichment. This principle, however, has proved itself to be theoretically unstable, particularly in respect of the proper relationship of restitution with other bodies of law. This book is an account of the law of restitution which provides coherence in its relationships with other areas of private law, reflects a consistent theoretical underpinning, and offers an organisation of the law which is not solely dependent on theory but which also reflects a contextual coherence. One important consequence of this reformulation is that the subject matter which falls properly within the ambit of the law of restitution is considerably less than is currently supposed. Although directed to the substantive law of New Zealand, the book is an important contribution to the developing theoretical organisation of the law and extends far beyond that jurisdiction.

The field of forensic investigation has grown significantly in South Africa over the past few years. This growth in the field is mostly due to the fact that investigations are now also undertaken by private and corporate bodies, and by government institutions other than the South African Police Service. The field of investigation has moved from being the sole domain of the police to including other role-players. The latest developments in the forensic investigation discipline are a result of the fact that forensic investigation is a continually evolving science. The new democratic dispensation also requires that all investigations must be conducted within the ambit of the Constitution.

The authors of Forensic Investigation: Legislative Principles and Investigative Practice aim to meet the needs of this field by examining how forensic investigations should be conducted in South Africa, with reference to local legislative principles and scientific processes.

Forensic Investigation: Legislative Principles and Investigative Practice commences by covering aspects such as the constitutional basis for public and private policing, the investigation process, and the characteristics of a good investigator. The book highlights the basic concepts of investigation and then proceeds to examine more sophisticated specialised aspects, such as medico-legal evidence, DNA, and policing in a cyber-world. The work also features more recent developments in the field, such as analysing the behaviour of offenders and the choices they make during the commission of crimes. These aspects are dealt with in relation to forensic geography and offender profiling.

Forensic Investigation: Legislative Principles and Investigative Practice takes the reader from the scene of the incident (the crime scene) to the courtroom, and from investigation to prosecution – all essential components of the investigative process. The book explores the significant role and conduct of an investigator, seeking to ensure that current and future generations of investigators are aware of the challenges and changes in the investigation of crimes, incidents and transgressions, and are also familiar with the prosecution processes that follow. This book will undoubtedly prove to be an invaluable and essential tool for all investigators.

Across Europe, restorative justice has gained acceptance as a way of resolving disputes and mitigating the harm of crime in the community. Practitioners have also begun to coordinate restorative meetings in prisons in an effort to reduce the harms of victimisation and to encourage desistance from crime. This book provides a comprehensive evaluation of Building Bridges, a programme of restorative meetings between victims and prisoners in seven European countries. The authors first describe how participation affected victims and offenders. Then, through case studies in three countries, they frame the social-ecological contexts of the programmes, discussing the organisational and socio-political factors that influenced how these programmes were delivered and what is necessary for them to be sustained. Funded by the European Commission, this evaluation is essential reading for practitioners and policy-makers interested in restorative justice and prisons. It offers important insights into the potential of restorative approaches for victims and offenders and reveals the organisational and cultural obstacles to be overcome before restorative justice is a regular feature of prisons in Europe.

Coronial Law is an area that attracts great public scrutiny, reflected in the recent establishment of the office of the Chief Coroner, and the number of Judges of the High Court and the Court of Appeal made deputy assistant coroners to particularly sensitive inquests. It is also an area of law that has changed significantly in recent years since the new Coroners and Justice Act 2009 came into force in 2013. This book provides practitioners with an up-to-date and comprehensive guide to the law of coroners and inquests. Written by barristers practising in the field, it addresses changes to the structure and jurisprudence of coroners' courts in a straightforward, accessible manner. The book is helpfully structured according to the elements of an inquest or the subject matter of a coroner's investigation. Each chapter provides an overview of the legal issues, statutory material and other sources of guidance, followed by case summaries and extracts where the relevant issues are discussed. In addition, there are useful appendices of relevant materials, including applicable legislation and the Chief Coroner's Guidance. The book is an essential companion for practitioners of coronial law, indispensable to novices and seasoned practitioners alike.

This book addresses current developments concerning the interpretation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the part of international courts and tribunals. It does so from different perspectives, by focusing on the jurisprudence of international and regional bodies, such as the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), the European Court of Justice (ECJ) and the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), as well as international arbitral tribunals and the World Trade Organization (WTO) Dispute Settlement Body. The various contributions offer in-depth analyses of issues ranging from the interaction between the sources of the International Law of the Sea, to various substantial, procedural and institutional aspects of the regulatory framework established by UNCLOS. The book also focuses on the reference by international courts and tribunals, in Law of the Sea cases, to both general principles and rules concerning interpretation codified in the Vienna Conventions on the Law of Treaties.

This book deals with adoption laws and practices in small island developing states in the Pacific. It commences with an introductory chapter giving an overview of relevant laws and practices and pulling together the common themes and issues raised in the book. Each of the following chapters deals with adoption law and practice in a small South Pacific country. The countries in question all have plural legal systems, with systems of adoption and its closest customary law equivalent operating side by side. In most cases, there is an insufficiently developed relationship between the two systems, which has resulted in a number of problems. Additionally, international law adds another layer of complexity. Size and remoteness in the small states under discussion have a profound impact on local practices.

As the ultimate arbiter in the global trade regime, the dispute settlement system of the World Trade Organization (WTO) is a body whose workings should be known to business people and their counsel everywhere. Here is a book - reviewed for accuracy by the WTO but written independently - that provides an uncomplicated but thorough explanation of the system, its purpose, its rules, and the role it plays in the management of the international economy. Peter Gallagher, a former trade negotiator and a specialist in the Uruguay Round agreements, answers such questions as: what sort of disputes does the WTO deal with?; can business or citizens use the WTO dispute system?; is it possible to get a temporary injunction to stop some action?; how much does it cost a to bring a case?; how far can you keep on appealing a decision?; what processes does a Panel follow?; what does the Appellate Body review?; what process does the Appellate Body follow?; how does intervention by other parties affect a dispute? As a handy guide to "bringing a case" before the WTO, or responding to a case already in progress, this easy-to-use book should prove an ideal starting point for lawyers, business people, or government officials confronted with a disputable trade issue.

This study explores the socio-legal context of economic rationality in the legal and judicial systems. It examines the meaning and relevance of the concept of efficiency for the operation of courts and court systems,seeking to answer questions such as: in what sense can we say that the adjudicative process works efficiently? What are the relevant criteria for the measurement and assessment of court efficiency? Should the courts try to operate efficiently and to what extent is this viable? What is the proper relationship between 'efficiency' and 'justice' considerations in a judicial proceeding? To answer these questions, a conceptual framework is developed on the basis of empirical studies and surveys carried out mainly in the United States, Western Europe and Latin America. Two basic ideas emerge from it. First, economic rationality has penetrated the legal and judicial systems at all levels and dimensions, from the level of society as a whole to the day-to-day operation of the courts, from the institutional dimension of adjudication to the organizational context of judicial decisions. Far from being an alien value in the judicial process, efficiency has become an inseparable part of the structure of expectations we place on the legal system. Second, economic rationality is not the prevalent value in legal decision-making, as it is subject to all kinds of constraints, local conditions and concrete negotiations with other values and interests.

Das Buch vermittelt praxisbezogen die grundlegenden Prinzipien, Methoden und den Ablauf der erfolgreichen Mediation. Im Mittelpunkt stehen bewahrte Kommunikations- und Gesprachstechniken, Beginn und Durchfuhrung der Mediation, der Mediationsvertrag und die Abschlussvereinbarung sowie ein historischer Abriss. UEbersichten veranschaulichen die Struktur des Gesprachs im Mediationsverfahren; zahlreiche Praxisbeispiele, Checklisten und Formulierungshilfen erleichtern die Umsetzung. Die klare und ubersichtliche Darstellung ermoeglicht das schnelle und gezielte Nachschlagen zentraler theoretischer und praktischer Aspekte der Mediation. Ein auf die Phasen der Mediation bezogenes Sachverzeichnis ermoeglicht das Nachschlagen von Techniken und Checklisten, die zum jeweiligen Verfahrenszeitpunkt hilfreich sind. Das Buch richtet sich an Mediatoren in der Ausbildung ebenso wie an erfahrene Praktiker. Die 2. Auflage enthalt die relevanten Erganzungen des Mediationsgesetzes durch die ZMediatAusbV und Hinweise zur (Selbst-) Zertifizierung. Ein zusatzliches Kapitel widmet sich u.a. der Konfliktklarung in interkulturellen Kontexten und der Mediation bei Beteiligungsprozessen bei Veranderungen im Unternehmen. Auch die Herausforderungen des "internen Mediators" sowie der Mediation in geschlossenen Systemen wie etwa auf (Kreuzfahrt-) Schiffen oder Justizvollzugsanstalten werden berucksichtigt. Das Buch endet mit einem Ausblick auf Mediation im Kontext der Digitalisierung

A unique reference work exploring the interaction of ever more pervasive media and the U.S. judicial system in the 20th century. At a time when two-thirds of local news is crime- or court-related, when Court TV broadcasts daily, and when one lurid case can push all other news aside, Media and American Courts: A Reference Handbook offers a much-needed examination of how the press and the judicial system interact. Despite the benefits (a better-informed public, judicial accountability), has expanded coverage of the courts in fact weakened our democracy? Media and American Courts approaches this question by exploring the cases, the personalities, and the controversies that have redefined the court/press relationship in the past century as the media expanded from print and radio to courtroom cameras, cable, and the World Wide Web. It also includes suggestions from legal and media experts for making court news more accurate, informative, and useful. Glossary definitions written in clear, layman's language describing the terms necessary for a full understanding of media coverage of the judicial system Biographical sketches of prominent courtroom journalists, lawyers, and judges such as F. Lee Bailey, Marcia Clark, and Johnny Cochran

An authoritative survey of the Taft Court, which served from 1921 to 1929, and the impact it had on the U.S. legal system, social order, economics, and politics. William Howard Taft's experience in the executive branch gave him a unique perspective on the court's work. He initiated judicial reform and was the prime mover behind the Judiciary Act of 1925, which gave the court wide latitude to accept cases based on their importance to the nation. The Taft Court decided about 1,600 cases during its nine terms. This book examines the "aggregate" personality of the court through discussions of individual voting characteristics, bloc alignments, and other patterned behavior. It also charts the strengths and weaknesses of the rulings and demonstrates Taft's penchant for increasing the impact of decisions by pursuing consensus among the justices, two of whom were his own appointees when he served as president. An A-Z set of entries on the people, laws, events, and concepts that are important to an understanding of the Taft Court A photograph of and a brief bibliography on each justice

A Historically Grounded Analysis and Defense of the Judiciary's Power to Override Legislation "The modern assailants of judicial power will find little comfort in this volume. It consists mainly in a clear and able presentation of convincing evidence that the power of the courts to override laws repugnant to the spirit of the Constitution was directly contemplated by the framers of that instrument. (...) He does not rest his case here, but proceeds with a discussion of other evidence in support of his position. (...) It is to be hoped that this volume will find a large audience and thereby perform a great public service in tending to limit the effect of many ill-considered statements bearing upon the power given to the judiciary by the Constitution of the United States."P.R.B., Yale Law Journal 22 (1912-13) 67-68 J. Hampden Dougherty was a prominent New York City lawyer whose practice focused on tax issues and land and water use. He graduated from Columbia Law School in 1874 and was the author of numerous titles including Electoral System of the United States (1906) and Constitutional History of New York State (2nd ed. 1915).

An in-depth study, originally published in 2006, of the careers and roles of judges in France, Germany, Spain, Sweden and England, this book is based on original language materials and investigations of judges and judicial institutions in each country. On the basis of these detailed case studies, the book suggests factors that shape the character of the judiciary in different countries, focusing on issues such as women's careers and the relationship between judicial careers and politics. Bell's investigations offer lessons on issues which the English judiciary was having to confront in the period of reform at the time of this book's publication.

Step-by-step guide to preparing your dissertation, written by an author with a clear understanding of the needs of law dissertation students Takes a practical approach to planning and preparing your dissertation, including case studies, tips and worked examples to help you apply your skills to best effect in your dissertation Chapter on researching your dissertation includes a dedicated section on online research skills helping you to locate only the most reliable and authoritative of sources Explains different theoretical approaches to legal research with in-chapter activities to help you put the theory into practice. Includes a chapter on navigating supervision helping you to feel supported during your dissertation. Ideal accompaniment for students who are perhaps having fewer contact hours in the years to come. New edition includes material to help support those undertaking postgraduate research as well. Covers non-traditional as well as traditional dissertation formats, for example work experience or audio projects.

This book is available digitally as an Open Access resource at www.boomdenhaag.nl. Click here to access the content. In recent years there has been significant growth in international business courts in Europe and across the world. They have been established as expert dispute resolution forums offering procedures in English for international commercial parties. Governments have promoted their development as an integral aspect of broader public policy agendas with the aim to enhance the rule of law and the attractiveness of their jurisdictions as legal and economic hubs. While these courts can be lauded for facilitating international commercial dispute resolution and boosting justice innovation, the development of competition in the international litigation market is a remarkable trend that merits discussion. International Business Courts provides a comprehensive critical evaluation of the institutional design and procedural rules of established and emerging international business courts. It focuses on major European and global centres. It assesses to what extent these courts, the competition between them and their inter relationship with arbitration, contribute to justice innovation. It considers their impact on access to justice and the global litigation market, as well as their effect on the rule of law. This book is of interest to legal practitioners, academics and policy makers in the area of civil justice and international business litigation.