Bringing together over 260 authors from 50 countries, the Encyclopedia of Comparative Law is the most comprehensive reference work in the field of comparative law. The Encyclopedia provides a unique collection of entries, written by authorities in their field, on the current state of this ever-emerging discipline. Entries provide unique insights into not only classical themes within the field but also expand the comparative method to many new topics – showing the way ahead for future scholarship. In addition, many topics are placed within a broader context, with attention given to aspects of social science, economics and anthropology. Entries are alphabetically arranged, covering topical aspects of comparative law as well as country reports addressing the world’s most important jurisdictions. The Encyclopedia is an indispensable source of information for anyone dealing with comparative and international aspects of the law. Key Features: A comprehensive range of over 225 substantive entries Entries organised alphabetically for ease of navigation Fully cross-referenced Special focus on methods used in comparative scholarship Entries written by the world’s foremost scholars of comparative law World class editorial team

Elgar Advanced Introductions are stimulating and thoughtful introductions to major fields in the social sciences and law, expertly written by the world's leading scholars. Designed to be accessible yet rigorous, they offer concise and lucid surveys of the substantive and policy issues associated with discrete subject areas. 'This is a must-have first book for anyone interested in global/transnational law, law and globalisation or legal globalisation, all complex concepts so fascinatingly expounded by the book. One great advantage of this book is that it concisely and comprehensively analyses the pluralist phenomenon of law and globalisation and provides a coherent theoretical/conceptual web connecting major interdependent, interrelated disciplines, theories, methodologies, and dimensions utilised in existing studies of the above phenomenon. The book takes a laudable fresh approach embracing not only the orthodoxies but also a novel and forward-looking perspective fitting for new powers such as China.' - Qiao Liu, The University of Queensland, Australia This Advanced Introduction offers a fresh critical analysis of various dimensions of law and globalisation, drawing on historical, normative, theoretical, and linguistic methodologies. Its comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach spans the fields of global legal pluralism, comparative legal studies, and international law. Key features include: Comprehensive treatment of main themes and approaches in law and globalisation discussions Provides a theoretical basis for evaluating legal globalisation Includes contemporary developments Examples from many jurisdictions offer a genuinely global perspective. An ideal concise companion for students and scholars alike, this book sets out an alternative view to law and globalisation that will interest anyone concerned with the future of legal globalisation.

Elgar Advanced Introductions are stimulating and thoughtful introductions to major fields in the social sciences and law, expertly written by the world's leading scholars. Designed to be accessible yet rigorous, they offer concise and lucid surveys of the substantive and policy issues associated with discrete subject areas. 'This is a must-have first book for anyone interested in global/transnational law, law and globalisation or legal globalisation, all complex concepts so fascinatingly expounded by the book. One great advantage of this book is that it concisely and comprehensively analyses the pluralist phenomenon of law and globalisation and provides a coherent theoretical/conceptual web connecting major interdependent, interrelated disciplines, theories, methodologies, and dimensions utilised in existing studies of the above phenomenon. The book takes a laudable fresh approach embracing not only the orthodoxies but also a novel and forward-looking perspective fitting for new powers such as China.' - Qiao Liu, The University of Queensland, Australia This Advanced Introduction offers a fresh critical analysis of various dimensions of law and globalisation, drawing on historical, normative, theoretical, and linguistic methodologies. Its comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach spans the fields of global legal pluralism, comparative legal studies, and international law. Key features include: Comprehensive treatment of main themes and approaches in law and globalisation discussions Provides a theoretical basis for evaluating legal globalisation Includes contemporary developments Examples from many jurisdictions offer a genuinely global perspective. An ideal concise companion for students and scholars alike, this book sets out an alternative view to law and globalisation that will interest anyone concerned with the future of legal globalisation.

Comparative law scholars have long recognised the importance of looking beyond legal texts and incorporating interdisciplinary methods into the study of law, yet in practice such use of non-legal methods has remained modest. Interdisciplinary Comparative Law illuminates why the doctrinal approach to legal research has retained its strong position, offering a critical analysis of the difficulties of interdisciplinarity. Incisive and ambitious in scope, the book highlights why the comparative study of law benefits from employing the methods of other disciplines. Chapters explore the various ways in which different fields can learn from each other, taking a deep dive into the respective studies of legal history, linguistics, literature, economics, social theory, and international law. The result is a vibrant cross-section of the contrasts and parallels between the practices of law and other areas of research, demonstrating which are the easiest for comparatists to grasp and implement, and which present obstacles for the application of non-legal methods. This cutting-edge book is an essential read for advanced students and scholars of law and legal studies. Its diagnosis of interdisciplinarity as both a boon and bane in the study of law will be of especial interest to comparative law scholars.

This thought-provoking introduction to the study of comparative law provides in-depth analyses of all major comparative methodologies and theories and serves as a common sense guide to the study of foreign legal systems. It is written in a lively and accessible style and will prove indispensable reading to students of the subject. It also contains much that will be of interest to comparative law scholars, offering novel insights into commonplace methodological and theoretical questions and making a significant contribution to the field.

‘A delightful and fresh approach to the comparative study of law.' (Jans Smits, Maastricht University, the Netherlands) (of the first edition). This textbook presents a clear and thought-provoking introduction to the study of comparative law. The book provides students with in-depth analyses of the major global comparative methodologies and theories. Written in a lively style, it leads the student through debates in comparative legal scholarship, both in the Western world and in the lesser studied jurisdictions, beyond Europe and North America. The second edition includes a revised structure to help the student understand the subject, an updated introductory chapter, and new material on legal transplants and globalisation. It also explores allied disciplines, including linguistics, history, and post-colonial studies giving students full context of the subject.

Legal theorists consider their discipline as an objective endeavour in line with other fields of science. Objectivity in science is generally regarded as a fundamental condition, informing how science should be practised and how truths may be found. Objective scientists venture to uncover empirical truths about the world and ought to eliminate personal biases, prior commitments and emotional involvement. However, legal theorists are inevitably bound up with a given legal culture. Consequently, their scholarly work derives at least in part from this environment and their subtle interaction with it. This book questions critically, in novel ways and from various perspectives, the possibilities of objectivity of legal theory in the twenty-first century. It transpires that legal theory is unavoidably confronted with varying conceptions of law, underlying ideologies, approaches to legal method, argumentation and discourse etc, which limit the possibilities of 'objectivity' in law and in legal reasoning. The authors of this book reveal some of these underlying notions and discuss their consequences for legal theory.

‘A delightful and fresh approach to the comparative study of law.' (Jans Smits, Maastricht University, the Netherlands) (of the first edition). This textbook presents a clear and thought-provoking introduction to the study of comparative law. The book provides students with in-depth analyses of the major global comparative methodologies and theories. Written in a lively style, it leads the student through debates in comparative legal scholarship, both in the Western world and in the lesser studied jurisdictions, beyond Europe and North America. The second edition includes a revised structure to help the student understand the subject, an updated introductory chapter, and new material on legal transplants and globalisation. It also explores allied disciplines, including linguistics, history, and post-colonial studies giving students full context of the subject.

Finland is a small modern Nordic country with a politically stable welfare system and a constitutional history dating back to the 1700s. The constitutional system, which contains features retained from the years of Swedish and Russian rule, was reconstituted by the arrival of independence in 1917, and was reformed by the Constitution Act (Perustuslaki) in 2000. The system, which is formally rigid but actually flexible, is characterized by unique tensions, including parliamentarism versus presidentialism, and a high level of constitutionalism versus the virtual absence of judicial review. This book - part of the Constitutional Systems of the World series by Hart Publishing, Oxford - offers an introduction to the history and current content of the Finnish Constitution, including chapters on the constitutional background, democratic institutions and their functions, judicial institutions and their role in securing the rule of law, fundamental rights, and future directions and challenges. The constitutional effect of the EU and the European Court of Human Rights are discussed, and, where appropriate, a comparative dimension is offered, providing a clearer view of the strengths and weaknesses of the Finnish system. The book is contextual and critical, providing students and teachers of constitutional law and politics with a reliable and concise resource which will facilitate understanding of the living Constitution and the debates surrounding it. It is written in an uncomplicated manner, with an emphasis on clarity, and includes lists for further reading and relevant websites at the end of each chapter.