1) This is a lucid and comprehensive volume on Islamic Banking and Finance. 2) It is written by Award Winning Indian Economist Professor Zubair Hasan. 3) This book will be of interest to departments of Economics across UK and USA.

Underpinned by a hybrid methodology (ranging from social sciences to human sciences), this book parses mediation in four perspectives, which stands as an unparalleled methodological approach so far. Mediation has long been tethered to piecemeal and haphazard approaches, which have flatly failed to capture the gist of the uniqueness of this (often) poorly latched on (and poorly understood) dispute resolution mechanism. This book argues that, in order to fully grasp the richness of such dispute resolution mechanism, mediation must be parsed in four tiers. The first tier is the social dynamics of mediation. The second tier is the cultural dynamics of mediation. The third tier is the legal dynamics of mediation. The fourth tier is the cross-border and cross-cultural dynamics of mediation. Taken together, the four tiers that premise the four-tiered model of mediation seek to unlock the finding in view of which law and social reality are tightly interlocked. In this vein, it is the underlying social reality of a given jurisdiction that should dictate the design of a pre-suit court-connected mandatory mediation with an easy opt-out, a central claim of both social dynamics of mediation (the first tier of the four-tiered model of mediation) and legal dynamics of mediation (the third tier of the four-tiered model of mediation).

This book studies the U.S. Supreme Court and its current common law approach to judicial decision making from a national and transnational perspective. The Supreme Court's modern approach appears detached from and inconsistent with the underlying fundamental principles that ought to guide it, an approach that often leads to unfair and inefficient results. This book suggests the adoption of a judicial decision-making model that proceeds from principles and rules and treats these principles and rules as premises for developing consistent unitary theories to meet current social conditions. This model requires that judicial opinions be informed by a wide range of considerations, beginning with established legal standards but also including the insights derived from deductive and inductive reasoning, the lessons learned from history and custom and ending with an examination of the social and economic consequences of the decision. Under this model, the considerations taken to reach a specific result should be articulated through a process that considers various hypotheses, arguments, confutations, and confirmations, and they should be shared with the public."

Moral Rationalism and Shari'a is the first attempt at outlining the scope for a theological reading of Shari'a, based on a critical examination of why 'Adliyya theological ethics have not significantly impacted Shi'i readings of Shari'a. Within Shi'i works of Shari 'a legal theory (usul al-fiqh) there is a theoretical space for reason as an independent source of normativity alongside the Qur'an and the Prophetic tradition. The position holds that humans are capable of understanding moral values independently of revelation. Describing themselves as 'Adliyya (literally the people of Justice), this allows the Shi 'a, who describe themselves as 'Adiliyya (literally, the People of Justice), to attribute a substantive rational conception of justice to God, both in terms of His actions and His regulative instructions. Despite the Shi'i adoption of this moral rationalism, independent judgments of rational morality play little or no role in the actual inference of Shari 'a norms within mainstream contemporary Shi'i thought. Through a close examination of the notion of independent rationality as a source in modern Shi'i usul al-fiqh, the obstacles preventing this moral rationalism from impacting the understanding of Shari 'a are shown to be purely epistemic. In line with the 'emic' (insider) approach adopted, these epistemic obstacles are revisited identifying the scope for allowing a reading of Shari'a that is consistent with the fundamental moral rationalism of Shi'i thought. It is argued that judgments of rational morality, even when not definitively certain, cannot be ignored in the face of the apparent meaning of texts that are themselves also not certain. An 'Adliyya reading of Shari'a demands that the strength of independent rational evidence be reconciled against the strength of any other apparently conflicting evidence, such that independent

Universities are pressed to compete within the global scene of international higher education. What is the status of the national or local language in higher education when the dominance of English in the academic world increases? Universities have become an interesting field for research on sociolinguistic and language policy aspects. How can the global edge and the local function of universities be effectively combined? This book combines case study contributions from countries within and outside Europe in order to underline the key language policy challenges universities around the world face in their attempt to remain nationally leading and interna-tionally competitive institutions. The grouping of different countries and contexts leads to the scrutiny of a variety of scopes that complement each other.

This book presents the essential knowledge and legal practice for establishing and operating companies in China. The book includes 6 chapters: Establishment of a Company; Shareholders, Directors, Supervisors, Senior Executives; Investment, M&A and Creditor's Rights; Financing and Guarantee; Alteration, Liquidation and Cancellation; Malfeasance Most Likely to be Overlooked. The end is a summary of the laws and regulations involved in the chapters above. From a professional perspective, this book explains and analyzes the key points, practical difficulties and potential risks that an enterprise may encounter in the process of establishment and operation, describes in detail the key points for handling various businesses and matters, the notes for selection of different administrative procedures, and conducts multi-dimensional comparison and case analysis to facilitate readers' understanding. This book is a practical guide for everyone to understand how to establish and operate a company in China, which is not only suitable for readers who want to start a business or have already started a business, but also suitable for overseas investors to fully understand how to establish and operate a company in China. It is also helpful for investors and entrepreneurs to lead the enterprise to be more standardized and more compliant so as to achieve better operation and development. In addition, this book could be used as a reference book for legal and financial professionals to help professionals become more professional.

Incest was a social problem in the Middle Ages, and also a popular literary theme. This wide-ranging study is the first survey of medieval incest stories in their cultural context. Did they reflect real life situations? How was incest defined in the Middle Ages? How were classical incest stories treated by medieval writers? Why was incest such a popular motif in the legendary lives of popes and saints, and why was it inserted into the stories of great heroes such as Charlemagne and Arthur?

Access to justice, equality before the law, and the rule of law are three fundamental values underpinning the civil justice system. This book examines these values and how, although they do not have great leverage in decision making by the courts, they are a crucial foundation of the civil justice system and a powerful argument for arrangements such as legal aid, the impartial application of law, and the independence of the judiciary. The second theme of this book concerns the role of procedure, often regarded as of secondary importance compared with substantive law. Taking the definition of procedure at its widest, the book discusses Lord Woolf's Inquiry, and demonstrates how procedural reform can maximize a fundamental value like access to justice. This linkage is furthered in a later analysis of access to justice comparatively, in relation to civil and commercial law. Thirdly, the book looks at understanding how law works, and how it could be made to work better, and concludes that this demands both a knowledge of law and of law's context. This theme offers a framework for the book, which then goes on to deal with the machinery of the law, and discusses what the courts do, civil procedure, and the ethics of lawyer's conduct, all in relation to the broader context of access to justice. This broader context of the law is particularly prominent in the latter half of the book which deals with various dimensions of the impact of the law. Including studies of civil and social rights in practice, the role of European law in the destruction of Aboriginal society in Australia, and commercial law in Asia, these examples raise issues about the gap between the law and reality, the potential law has to destroy social patterns, and the relationship between law and economic development. This is a thought-provoking, critical exploration which has much to offer those interested in the operation of the civil justice system.

The SHRM Essential Guide to Employment Law is your One-Stop Legal Reference to Employment Law. It simple, straightforward language on everything HR professionals, employers, and small business owners need to know about their relationship with their employees in order to comply with the law and protect themselves and their business from legal action. Covering more than 200 workplace law topics, the Guide provides an overview of U.S. workplace laws, regulations, and court decisions that employers, large or small, are likely to face, as well as what pitfalls to anticipate and when to seek professional advice. Each chapter offers general principles, highlights key issues, and provides specific examples and suggestions to help make the employer-employee relationship run more smoothly. The Second Edition features scores of updates and new content, including:* New NLRB rules* New state law limitations on inquiring about salary history* Compliance for telework* Lawfulness of provisions in severance and release agreements* Department of Labor's change of position on volunteer workers* New state laws limiting or prohibiting non-compete agreements* and much more!

The third Joe Wilderness spy thriller from a master of the genre, moving from icy Finland to tumultuous Cold War Prague, Hammer to Fall is a tale of vodka smuggling and a legendary female Red Army general who is playing a dangerous game It's London, the swinging sixties, and by all rights MI6 spy Joe Wilderness should be having as good a time as James Bond. But alas, his postings are more grim than glamorous. Luckily, Wilderness has a knack for doing well for himself even in the most unpromising postings, though this has gotten him into hot water in the past. A coffee-smuggling gig in divided Berlin was a steady money-maker but things went pear-shaped when he had to smuggle a spy back to the KGB instead. In the wake of what became an embarrassing disaster for MI6, Wilderness is reprimanded with a posting to remote northern Finland, under the guise of a cultural exchange program to promote Britain abroad. Bored by his work, with nothing to spy on, Wilderness finds another way to make money, this time by smuggling vodka across the rather porous border into the USSR. He strikes a deal with his old KGB pal Kostya, who explains to him there is, no joke, a vodka shortage in the Soviet Union, following a grain famine caused by Khrushchev's new agricultural policies. But there is something fishy about why Kostya has suddenly turned up in Finland--and MI6 intelligence from London points to a connection to the mining of cobalt in the region, a critical component in the casing of the atomic bomb. Wilderness's posting is getting more interesting by the minute, but more dangerous too. Moving from the no-man's-land of Cold War Finland to the wild days of the Prague Spring, and populated by old friends (including Inspector Troy) and old enemies alike, Hammer to Fall is a gripping tale of deception and skullduggery, of art and politics, a page-turning story of the always riveting life of the British spy.

This book provides an analysis of the treatment of impossibility in modern private law. The author explains the regulation of impossibility in German, Swiss and Turkish laws with a comparative analysis of the subject under (i) the United Nations Convention on International Sale of Goods (CISG), (ii) UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial Contracts (PICC), (iii) Principles of European Contract Law (PECL also known as the Lando-Principles), (iv) Draft Common Frame of Reference (DCFR) and (iv) Common European Sales Law (CESL).

Islam encourages business and financial transactions as a way of securing the basic needs for all human beings, but these need to be conducted in accordance with the principles contained in the Qur'an and Sunnah. However, these legal concepts are not classified subject-wise, and the verses on commercial law, like all other topics, are scattered throughout the Qur'an, making it difficult for readers to gain a full understanding of the topic. This, therefore, is the first comprehensive book to demystify Islamic contract law and specifically Islamic financial contracts, and to examine its roots and history. The book is written in a clear style to allow for a greater understanding of the more challenging and misunderstood areas pertaining to Islamic business and financial contracts. It also contributes a series of chapters which address the market niche and need, concerning Shariah compliance for Islamic financial products and services. The book is divided into 16 chapters in order to provide a holistic and thorough overview of Islamic law of contract. It covers the objections and misconceptions surrounding Islamic business and financial contracts. It also includes the key features and guiding principles of Islamic law of contract and offers technical know-how, illustrating the concept of formation of a contract, as well as the essential elements of a valid contract. The authors also offer a discussion on the system of options under Islamic business and financial contracts and potential solutions to breach of contracts. The book will serve as a handy reference for scholars and students of Islamic business and finance and Islamic commercial law and will also be beneficial for practitioners as well as legal and judicial officers. It will open new doors for further research in the field of Islamic financial contracts.

The book analyzes the most relevant developments in the relation between contracts and technology, from automatically concluded contracts to today's revolutionary "smart contracts" developed through blockchain, which are beginning to and will increasingly disrupt many economic and social relations. First of all, the author offers a broad analysis of the peculiarities and evolution of the relation between contracts and technology. The main features and elements of electronic contracts are then examined in depth to highlight the specific rules applicable to them in the international comparative legal framework. In turn, the book provides a detailed explanation of the technology, economic and social dynamics, and legal issues concerning blockchain and smart contracts. The analysis focuses on the question of the legal nature of smart contracts, the issues posed by their development and the first legal solutions adopted in some countries. The comparative approach pursued makes it possible to focus attention on the first solutions adopted until now in various systems, with particular regard to the circulation of models and ideas and to the specificities of their local variations, in terms of e.g. applicable law and jurisdiction. In reviewing the characteristics of distributed ledger technologies, and in particular of the blockchain technology on which smart contracts are based, above all the peculiarities of the latter are taken into consideration, especially automatic execution and resistance to tampering, which simultaneously present significant opportunities and complex legal issues. A comprehensive framework is then provided to reconcile smart contracts with comparative contract law, in order to define the scope and specificities of their binding force, legal effectiveness and regulation in various legal systems. Lastly, with specific reference to the elements, pathologies and contractual remedies for smart contracts, the book examines the peculiarities of their application and the main issues that emerge in comparative contract law in order to promote their harmonized use, in keeping with the transnational nature of such a revolutionary tool.

This book traces the evolution of organisational activism among Muslim women in India. It deconstructs the 'Muslim woman' as the monolith based on tropes like purdah, polygamy, and tin talaq and compels the reader to revisit the question of Muslim women's individual and collective agency. The book argues that the political field, along with religion, moulds the nature and scope of Muslim women's activism in India. It looks at the objectives of four Muslim women's organisations: the Bazm-e-Niswan, the Awaaz-e-Niswaan, the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan and the India International Women's Alliance (IIWA), in close interaction with the political landscape of Mumbai. The book explores the emergence of gender-inclusive interpretation of Muslim women's rights by Muslim women activists and challenges the dominant and reductionist stereotypes on Muslim women, community, and absolutist ideas of Islam. It argues that Muslim women are not passive victims of their culture and religion, rather they can develop a critique of their marginality and subjugation from within the community. Revisiting Muslim Women's Activism traces the evolution of a community-centric approach in women's activism and records a fragmented view on women's rights from within the community and religious leadership. It also delineates the distinctiveness of this activism that considers religion and culture as resources for empowerment and as sites of contestations. Moreover, the book documents the narratives of Muslim women's struggle and resistance from their location and lived experiences. It will be of interest to students and researchers of women's studies, gender studies, political science, sociology, anthropology, law, and Islamic studies.

This book contends that modern concerns surrounding the UK State's investigation of communications (and, more recently, data), whether at rest or in transit, are in fact nothing new. It evidences how, whether using common law, the Royal Prerogative, or statutes to provide a lawful basis for a state practice traceable to at least 1324, the underlying policy rationale has always been that first publicly articulated in Cromwell's initial Postage Act 1657, namely the protection of British 'national security', broadly construed. It further illustrates how developments in communications technology led to Executive assumptions of relevant investigatory powers, administered in conditions of relative secrecy. In demonstrating the key role played throughout history by communications service providers, the book also charts how the evolution of the UK Intelligence Community, entry into the 'UKUSA' communications intelligence-sharing agreement 1946, and intelligence community advocacy all significantly influenced the era of arguably disingenuous statutory governance of communications investigation between 1984 and 2016. The book illustrates how the 2013 'Intelligence Shock' triggered by publication of Edward Snowden's unauthorized disclosures impelled a transition from Executive secrecy and statutory disingenuousness to a more consultative, candid Executive and a policy of 'transparent secrecy', now reflected in the Investigatory Powers Act 2016. What the book ultimately demonstrates is that this latest comprehensive statute, whilst welcome for its candour, represents only the latest manifestation of the British state's policy of ensuring protection of national security by granting powers enabling investigative access to communications and data, in transit or at rest, irrespective of location.

If, as John Rawls famously suggests, justice is the first virtue of social institutions, how are we to understand the institution of contract law?
This book proposes a Rawlsian theory of contract law. It argues that justice requires that we understand contract rules in terms of the idea of reasonable, terms of interaction - that is, terms that would be accepted by reasonable persons moved by a desire for a social world in which they, as free and equal, can cooperate with others on terms they accept. On that basis, the book explains the main doctrines of contract law, including those governing third parties, in both the Common Law and the Civil Law.

This book focuses on the tactics and strategies used in business-to-business contract negotiations. In addition to outlining general negotiation concepts, techniques and tools, it provides insight into relevant framework conditions, underlying mechanisms and also presents generally occurring terms and problems. Moreover, different negotiating styles are illustrated using an exemplary presentation of negotiation peculiarities in China, the USA and Germany. The presented tactics and strategies combine interdisciplinary psychological and economic knowledge as well as findings from the field of communication science. The application scope of these tactics and strategies covers business-to-business negotiations as well as company-internal negotiations. The fact that this book does not necessarily stipulate any prior knowledge of the subject of negotiations also makes it highly suitable for nonprofessionals with a pronounced interested in negotiations. Nonetheless, it provides proficient negotiators with a deeper understanding for situations experienced in negotiations. This book also helps practioners to identify underlying mechanisms and on this basis sustainably improve their negotiation skills.

This book examines the current law on the employment status of ministers of religion together with religious workers and volunteers and suggests reforms in this area of the law to meet the need for ministers to be given a degree of employment protection. It also considers the constant theme in Christian history that the clergy should not be subject to the ordinary courts and asks whether this is justified with the growth of areas such as employment law. The work questions whether it is possible to arrive at a satisfactory definition of who is a minister of religion and, along with this, who would be the employer of the minister if there was a contract of employment. Taking a comparative perspective, it evaluates the case law on the employment status of Christian and non-Christian clergy and assesses whether this shows any coherent theme or line of development. The work also considers the issue of ministerial employment status against the background of the autonomy of churches and other religious bodies from the State, together with their ecclesiology. The book will be of interest to academics and researchers working in the areas of law and religion, employment law and religious studies, together with both legal practitioners and human resources practitioners in these areas.

Taking on risk is simply a part of business. But new developments in technology and communication make risk management simpler and more effective than ever before. Using examples from companies such as Home Depot, Airbus, Boeing, and Nokia, author John Hampton takes a fresh look at one of the hottest topics in business today: weighing business opportunities against the possibilities of loss. Fundamentals of Enterprise Risk Management does this by introducing innovative new concepts such as hierarchical risk structures, alignment of risks with the business model, creation of a central risk function, and the role of an ERM knowledge warehouse. Readers will learn how to recognize both internal and external exposures; understand important concepts such as risk mapping and risk identification; recognize the weaknesses of current ERM systems; align risk opportunities with their organization's business model; and stay in line with Sarbanes-Oxley compliance. Featuring enlightening case studies and practical exercises, this essential book shows readers how they can implement ERM the right way to experience unapparelled successes at their organizations.

First published in 1998, this volume contains essays from leading thinkers on both sides of the Atlantic on the relationship between law and science. Science plays an ever-increasing part in the development of legislation and the adjudication of cases. Its limitations and its value are explored in these essays which discuss issues of methodology and of evidence. Amongst areas covered are silicone breast implants, the rape trauma syndrome, the environment, inventions and Bayesianism.

The increasing commercialization of sport raises important questions concerning regulation. The development of the European Union and the internationalization of sporting competition has added an international dimension to this debate. Yet sport is not only a business, it is a social and cultural activity. Can regulation at the EU level reconcile this tension? Adopting a distinctive legal and political analysis, this book argues that the EU is receptive to the claim of sport for special treatment before the law.

Most Muslim-majority countries have legal systems that enshrine both Islam and liberal rights. While not necessarily at odds, these dual commitments nonetheless provide legal and symbolic resources for activists to advance contending visions for their states and societies. Using the case study of Malaysia, Constituting Religion examines how these legal arrangements enable litigation and feed the construction of a 'rights-versus-rites binary' in law, politics, and the popular imagination. By drawing on extensive primary source material and tracing controversial cases from the court of law to the court of public opinion, this study theorizes the 'judicialization of religion' and the radiating effects of courts on popular legal and religious consciousness. The book documents how legal institutions catalyze ideological struggles, which stand to redefine the nation and its politics. Probing the links between legal pluralism, social movements, secularism, and political Islamism, Constituting Religion sheds new light on the confluence of law, religion, politics, and society. This title is also available as Open Access.

This volume examines cases of accommodation and recognition of minority practices: cultural, religious, ethnic, linguistic or otherwise, under state law. The collection presents selected situations and experiences from a variety of regions and from different legal traditions around the world in which diverse societal stakeholders and political actors have engaged in processes leading to the elaboration of creative, innovative and, to a certain extent, sustainable solutions via accommodative laws or practices. Representing multiple disciplines and methodologies and written by esteemed scholars, the work analyses the pitfalls and successes of such accommodative practices, presenting insights into how solutions could or could not be achieved. The chapters address the sustainability and transferability of such solutions in order to further the dialogue in both scholarly and policy spheres. The book will be essential reading for academics, researchers, and policy-makers in the areas of minority rights, legal anthropology, law and religion, legal philosophy, and law and migration.

Scholars, thinkers, and activists around the world are paying increasing attention to a legal reform method that promises to revolutionize the way people think about Islamic law. Known as "The Objectives of the Shari'a" (maqasid al-shari'a), the theory offers a way to derive and apply new Islamic laws using an ancient methodology. The theory identifies core objectives that underlie Islamic law, and then looks at inherited Islamic laws to see whether they meet those objectives. According to the maqasid theory, historical Islamic laws that meet their objectives should be retained, and those that do not-no matter how entrenched in practice or embedded in texts-should be discarded or reformed. Recently, several scholars have questioned the maqasid theory, arguing that it is designed not to reform laws, but to support existing power structures. They warn that adopting the maqasid wholesale would set the reform project back, ensuring that inherited Islamic laws are never fully reformed to agree with contemporary values like gender-egalitarianism and universal human rights. The Objectives of Islamic Law: The Promises and Challenges of the Maqasid al-Shari'a captures the ongoing debate between proponents and skeptics of the maqasid theory. It raises some of the most important issues in Islamic legal debates today, and lays out visions for the future of Islamic law.