'We wrote the (text)book'
Birmingham Law School textbook authors are responsible for writing/editing some of the most important legal titles, from internationally established texts such as Lloyd and Freeman's Introduction to Jurisprudence through to emerging areas of legal study such as Street Law: Theory and Practice; and, as we set out below, very many more between.
Linden Thomas
Street Law: Theory and Practice
Street Law is a form of Public Legal Education, through which law students deliver learner-centred, interactive workshops that inform and empower individuals and communities in relation to their legal rights and responsibilities.
The first textbook of its kind Street Law: Theory and Practice adopts an interactive, workbook format that teaches readers not only how to successfully design and deliver impactful Street Law sessions, but also the theory behind this practice. Described by leading academics as ‘an invaluable resource’ and ‘a must-have publication for anyone involved in the design, planning or delivery of public legal education sessions within a HE context’, the textbook has been adopted as a recommended text on Street Law modules across the UK and abroad.
Gavin Byrne
Lloyd and Freeman's Introduction to Jurisprudence
Lloyd and Freeman’s Introduction to Jurisprudence is the leading textbook on jurisprudence in the English-speaking world. In its illustrious, sixty-eight-year, history it has only had three custodians: Lord Lloyd of Hampstead, Professor Michael Freeman, and now, Birmingham Law School’s Dr Gavin Byrne.
Question and Answer with Gavin Byrne:
Tell us about Lloyd and Freeman’s Jurisprudence, and what makes it special?
It is a unique publication. In most law subjects, there is a list of topics that you simply must address (you could not teach Contract without teaching “offer and acceptance”, for example). The same is not true of Legal Theory courses. What we think of as “the canon” in this area, is largely a matter of textbook treatments. Lloyd and Freeman’s Introduction to Jurisprudence has done more than any other publication to establish the parameters of the subject, what we call “Jurisprudence” (or “Legal Theory” or “Legal Philosophy”). I am not sure that we can say the same of any other book in legal academia.
How did you come to edit the latest edition?
I was not looking to do a textbook. Over the years, I had been approached a few times, but always politely declined. I made an exception for Lloyds because of the singular importance of the publication both historically and in terms of its capacity to shape the very nature of the subject. As to why they asked me, I think the main reason was the breadth of my interests. Most juriprudents situate their work within a very specific tradition in legal philosophy. I have always tried to draw on material from across a wide spectrum of intellectual traditions. As such, I am perhaps better placed than most to engage in subject wide project like this.
How was the editing process? What were the biggest challenges?
The book is enormous – over 1,300 pages. Yet the biggest challenge might have been to keep the page count that low. This area of study has grown enormously since the first edition, in 1958. Keeping the size somewhat manageable while also refreshing the content and bringing it right up to date was not easy.
What are your hopes for the book from here?
I hope the book continues to inspire young people to get interested in legal philosophy, as it has for generations now. As such, my main aspiration is that this, tenth, edition continues the extraordinary legacy that I have been left through the incredible work of both Lord Lloyd and Michael Freeman, who sadly passed away while this edition was being prepared. The book is dedicated to his memory.
John Child
Simester and Sullivan’s Criminal Law; Smith, Hogan and Ormerod’s Essentials of Criminal Law
John is lead author of Smith, Hogan and Ormerod’s Essentials of Criminal Law, the best-selling criminal law textbook in the UK. He is also a member of the editing team of Simester and Sullivan’s Criminal Law, a more theoretical textbook, used in higher level modules and regularly cited in the courts.
Fiona de Londras
Great Debates on the European Convention on Human Rights
Great Debates on the European Convention on Human Rights builds upon the 'nuts and bolts' grounding in the Convention and workings of the Court. It offers a unique thematic approach to thinking and learning about the Convention. Each of the key debates is illuminated by taking a wide lens on the ECHR: some points of contention are illustrated by reaching across Articles, others by examining national and international arenas, and still others by exploring the ECHR's organisational structure and working practices.
Alexander Orakhelashvili
Akehurst's Modern Introduction to International Law
Why Akehurst? There are not many textbooks of international law that give students sufficient insight into the method and main areas of this discipline and are, at the same time, of manageable size. My idea of a textbook has always been that it should not be an all-encompassing narrative of all possible developments in international law, but a sort of gateway to the wider discipline, arming students with methodological tools to approach the wider system of international law and how it works through treaties, practices, court decisions or international organisations’ decisions.
Erika Rackley
Tort Law
Tort Law is a best-selling undergraduate textbook that offers a lively, accessible, and thoughtful treatment of all key tort law topics, and includes carefully chosen learning features that encourage deep and critical thinking. It is used by over 50% of Law Schools, and available as an enhanced e-book, including author videos, interactive text, and quizzes.
Karen Yeung
An Introduction to Law and Regulation
As we discuss in An Introduction to Law and Regulation, contemporary life relies on regulation. The quality and safety of the water we drink, the food we eat, and the social media applications we use are all governed by multiple regulatory regimes. Although rooted in law, regulation is a multidisciplinary endeavour and often poorly understood, even by policymakers, with unintended and even disastrous consequences.
Lorraine Talbot
Critical Company Law
Critical Company Law provides a framework in which to understand how the company functions in society and a thorough grounding in modern legal doctrine. It shows how modern company law is shaped by a multi-layered history of politics, ideology, economics and power. Through the lens of political economic theory the book shows how the company becomes the mechanism through which the state makes political choices about distributing societies’ wealth and through which it responds to economic crises.
Nelson Enonchong
The Independence Principle of Letters of Credit and Demand Guarantees; Duress, Undue Influence and Unconscionable Dealing
In The Independence Principle of Letters of Credit and Demand Guarantees, Nelson provides the first work to focus on the important autonomy principle relating to both letters of credit and demand guarantees. The second text, Duress, Undue Influence and Unconscionable Dealing, in its fourth edition, gives a detailed and rigorous analysis of the circumstances where an otherwise valid transaction can be avoided on each of these grounds.
Damian Gonzalez Salzberg
International Law of Human Rights
Two critical scholars from the Global South wrote International Law of Human Rights, offering a global perspective on the international law of human rights that not only discusses the current state of the discipline, but also engages with multiple challenges that underpin this particular branch of international law. While the discussion throughout the book does not originate in one specific school of thought, reflecting an awareness that there is more than one way to approach the field of human rights, the authors’ Global South backgrounds transpire in the heightened attention paid to certain topics and the recurrent emergence of specific concerns, such as the legal legacies of colonialism and law’s over-reliance on Western epistemes.
Alan Greene
Blackstone’s Guide to the Anti-Terrorism Legislation
The latest edition of the UK’s leading text on counter-terrorism law. An indispensable resource for researchers, practitioners, and students alike. Covers key developments in the law including: the banning of Palestine Action, Brexit and sanctions, and the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023.
Jean McHale
Principles of Medical Law
Principles of Medical Law is a leading authority, providing an in-depth analysis of the whole spectrum of issues relating to medical law. Provides an accessible account of common law and statutory provisions governing healthcare in England and Wales, setting the law in context and critiquing its application. Cited in the Supreme Court in Aintree University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust v James and Montgomery v Lanarkshire Health Board.