W M Gordon, who retired from the Douglas Chair of Civil Law at the University of Glasgow in 1999, is well-known for his distinguished contribution to Roman law, legal history and land law.? He is the author of several books in these subject areas, but it is a mark of his international eminence that much of his prolific output has been published in a wide variety of journals and essay collections outside, as well as within, the UK.? This important new collection draws together in an accessible format much of his most important writing and, as such, will be in indispensable purchase for all those interested in these core areas of legal scholarship.

Scotland and South Africa are mixed jurisdictions, combining features of common law and civil law traditions. Over the last decade a shared feature in both Scotland and South Africa has been a new intense focus on human rights. In Scotland the European Convention on Human Rights now constitutes an important element in the foundation of all domestic law. Similarly, the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, adopted in 1996, has as its cornerstone a Bill of Rights that binds not only the legislature, the executive, the judiciary and all organs of state, but also private parties. Of course the "constitutional moments" from which these documents sprang were very different and the Scottish and South African experience in some aspects could not be more dissimilar. Yet in many respects the parallels are close and compelling. This book, written by experts from both jurisdictions, examines exactly how human-rights provisions influence private law, looking at all branches of the subject. Moreover, it gives a unique perspective by comparing the approach in these kindred legal systems, thus providing a benchmark for both. Key Features: Twenty comparative case studies in private law and human rights A challenging collaboration between South African and Scots Universities Considers the impact of a bill of fundamental human rights upon the legal relationships between private individuals

In this important book, Elspeth Reid presents an exhaustive, integrated treatment of the law of Delict in Scotland.The volume covers negligence, injuries to specific interests (such as defamation and assault), statutory liability, and defences and remedies. Alongside its focus upon the Scots sources, where appropriate it also gives full consideration to case law and commentary from other jurisdictions, especially England and Wales.

Scotland and South Africa are mixed jurisdictions, combining features of common law and civil law traditions. Over the last decade, a shared feature in both Scotland and South Africa has been a new and intense focus on human rights. In Scotland the European Convention on Human Rights now constitutes an important element in the foundation of all domestic law. Similarly, the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, adopted in 1996, has as its cornerstone a Bill of Rights that binds not only the legislature, the executive, the judiciary and all organs of state, but also private parties. Of course, the `constitutional moments' from which these documents sprang were very different and the Scottish and South African experience in some aspects could not be more dissimilar. Yet in many respects the parallels are close and compelling. This book, written by experts from both jurisdictions, examines exactly how human-rights provisions influence private law, looking at all branches of the subject. Moreover, it gives a unique perspective by comparing the approach in these kindred legal systems, thus providing a benchmark for both.

Returning to a theme featured in some of the earlier volumes in the Edinburgh Studies in Law series, this volume offers an in-depth study of 'mixed jurisdictions' -- legal systems which combine elements of the Anglo-American Common Law and the European Civil Law traditions. This new collection of essays compares key areas of private law in Scotland and Louisiana. In thirteen chapters, written by distinguished scholars on both sides of the Atlantic, it explores not only legal rules but also the reasons for the rules, discussing legal history, social and cultural factors, and the law in practice, in order to account for patterns of similarity and difference. Contributions are drawn from the Law Schools of Tulane University, Louisiana State University, Loyola University New Orleans, the American University Washington DC, and the Universities of Aberdeen, Strathclyde and Edinburgh. This title will be of interest to students of comparative law at senior undergraduate and postgraduate level, academics and researchers and also those who are interested in the mixed jurisdictions for the lessons they offer in the context of harmonisation of private law in Europe.

A focus on the career of T. B. Smith.This collection of essays considers the work of Professor Sir Thomas Smith QC (1915-88) and, through that work the development of Scots law as a mixed legal system. Smith was a leading figure in the revival of Scots law which he began in the 1950s. Well-known internationally as a comparatist, he was the pioneer of the idea of a grouping of mixed legal systems(i.e. systems which combine both of the main European legal traditions, civil law and common law). Yet, in Scotland, he was a controversial figure, whose advocacy of the Civil Law tradition was challenged and whose legacy is disputed. This volume is the first sustained attempt to assess Smith's career, and his writing, methodology, ideology and influence. The contributors approach their subject from different angles and in different ways. Some knew Smith well personally while others know him only from his work. Two contributors are from other mixed legal systems (South Africa and Louisiana).