Table Of Content

Law Made Simple Twelfth edition D. L. A. Barker, AM, LLB, MPhil, LLM, DipLG, GradDipLegPrac, FCIS, FCI Mgt, MCI Arb, FAIM, FACE, FAICD. Solicitor of the Supreme Court of NSW and High Court of Australia; Professor and Formerly Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Technology, Sydney; Sometime Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Westminster (formerly Polytechnic of Central London) AMSTERDAM • BOSTON • HEIDELBERG • LONDON • NEW YORK • OXFORD PARIS • SAN DIEGO • SAN FRANCISCO • SINGAPORE • SYDNEY • TOKYO To G. T. P. & C. B. Made Simple is an imprint of Elsevier Linacre House, Jordan Hill, Oxford OX2 8DP, UK 30 Corporate Drive, Suite 400, Burlington, MA 01803, USA First edition 1970, Second edition 1972, Third edition 1973, Fourth edition 1975, Reprinted 1976, Fifth edition 1978, Sixth edition 1981, Seventh edition 1989, Eighth edition 1992, Ninth edition 1996, Tenth edition 1998, Eleventh edition 2002, Twelfth edition 2007 Eleventh edition, copyright ©2002, D.L.A. Barker and Mrs G. Padfield. All rights reserved Twelfth edition, copyright ©2007, Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved Permissions may be sought directly from Elsevier’s Science & Technology Rights Department in Oxford, UK: phone ((cid:2)44) (0) 1865 843830; fax ((cid:2)44) (0) 1865 853333; e-mail: [email protected]. Alternatively you can submit your request online by visiting the Elsevier web site at http://elsevier.com/locate/permissions, and selecting Obtaining permission to use Elsevier material Notice No responsibility is assumed by the publisher for any injury and/or damage to persons or property as a matter of products liability, negligence or otherwise, or from any use or operation of any methods, products, instructions or ideas contained in the material herein While every effort has been made to ensure the information in his book is as up-to-date and accurate as possible, the law is complex and constantly changing, and readers are, therefore, advised to seek expert advice when faced with specific problems. This text is intended as a guide to the law and should not be used as a substitute for legal advice. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 978-0-7506-8494-1 For information on all Made Simple publications visit our web site at books.elsevier.com Printed and bound in Great Britain 07 08 09 10 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Contents Preface to the Twelfth edition xiii 1 Introduction 1 1 The nature of law 1 2 Custom, morality and law 1 3 Classification of law 3 4 Characteristics of English law 5 Exercises 7 2 Historical sources of English law 9 1 The Common Law 9 The Norman Conquest 10 The Common Law courts 12 2 Equity 13 Later history 15 3 Legislation 15 European Union law 17 4 Canon law 17 5 The law merchant 18 6 Local custom 19 7 The nineteenth century 19 Reorganization of the courts 20 The House of Lords 20 Reforming the rules 20 Exercises 21 3 Legal sources 23 1 Judicial precedent 23 The House of Lords and precedent 24 Case law: advantages and disadvantages 24 Law reports 26 Citation of cases 27 Declaratory theory of the common law 28 2 Legislation 28 Statutes 28 Stages in legislation 29 Obsolescence 30 Consolidation and codification 31 Delegated legislation 31 Forms of delegated legislation 32 Growth of delegated legislation 32 Criticism of delegated legislation 33 vi Contents Control of delegated legislation 33 Publication 34 Interpretation of statutes 35 Presumptions 36 Reference to statutes 37 Reference to statutory instruments 38 European Community law 38 Human Rights Act, 1998 38 Law revision and reform 38 3 Textbooks 40 4 Local custom 40 Exercises 42 4 The courts today 43 1 Civil courts 43 The House of Lords and the Supreme Court 43 Judicial Committee of the Privy Council 43 Court of Appeal (Civil Division) 44 The High Court of Justice 44 County courts 46 2 Criminal courts 47 The House of Lords and the Supreme Court 47 Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) 48 The Crown Court 49 Appeal by Way of Case Stated 51 Magistrates’ courts 52 Jurisdiction of magistrates’ courts 53 Juvenile courts 55 Appeals from magistrates’ courts 55 3 Other courts 55 Courts-Martial Appeal Court 55 Restrictive Practices Court 55 Employment Appeal Tribunal 56 Coroner’s courts 56 4 Court of Justice of the European Communities 57 5 Administrative tribunals 57 Examples of tribunals 58 6 Judicial control of administrative tribunals 61 Supervision by the Queen’s Bench Division 62 Tribunals and Inquiries Act, 1922 63 The Inquiries Act, 2005 64 7 Arbitration 64 8 Juries 66 9 Legal Services 67 Legal Services Commission 67 Community Legal Service 67 Criminal Defense Service 68 10 Lay persons in the courts 69 Exercises 69 5 The judiciary, law officers and the legal profession 71 1 The Lord Chancellor – change in role 71 2 Judges 71 Contents vii 3 Attorney General and Solicitor General 72 4 Masters 73 5 Director of Public Prosecutions 73 The legal profession 73 6 Solicitors 73 7 Barristers 74 8 Queen’s Counsel 75 9 Licensed conveyancers 75 10 De-regulation of legal services 76 11 Legal Services Ombudsman 76 Exercises 76 6 Outline of the law of persons 77 1 Legal persons 77 2 Nationality and domicile 77 British nationality 78 Loss of nationality 79 British Protected Persons 80 Aliens 80 Domicile 80 3 Marriage 81 4 Divorce 84 5 Domestic proceedings in magistrates’ courts 85 6 Legitimation 85 7 Adoption 85 8 Guardianship 87 9 Illegitimacy 88 10 Infants or minors 88 11 Mental capacity 90 12 Gender Recognition 90 13 Equality and Human Rights 91 14 Corporations 91 Classes of Corporations 91 Share structure of a company 94 The ‘ultra vires’ rule 94 Termination of a company 95 Company voluntary arrangements 95 15 Unincorporated associations 95 Legal liability of unincorporated associations 95 16 Partnerships 96 17 Trade unions and employers’ associations 97 18 Employment rights – protection against victimization 98 19 Crown proceedings 98 The Crown as employer 99 The Crown Proceedings Act, 1947 99 20 Data protection 101 Exercises 101 7 The law of contract 103 1 Essentials of a valid contract 103 2 Classification of contracts 104 3 Offer and acceptance 105 Rules regarding acceptance 110 viii Contents 4 Intention to create legal relations 113 5 Consideration 114 Rules of consideration 114 6 Form 120 7 The doctrine of Part Performance 123 8 Contractual capacity 124 Infants or minors 124 Corporations 127 Insane and drunken persons 129 Married women 129 Aliens 129 9 Terms of a contract 130 Exemption clauses 132 The Unfair Contract Terms Act, 1977 134 Conditions and warranties 136 10 Void, voidable, and illegal contracts 136 Mistake 136 Misrepresentation 142 Contracts ‘uberrimae fidei’ 147 Duress and undue influence 148 11 Illegality 150 Contracts declared illegal by statute 150 Contracts illegal at common law 151 Effects of illegality 155 12 Discharge of contract 156 13 Remedies for breach of contract 164 14 Privity of contract 171 15 Assignment 173 16 Interpretation of a contract 176 17 Quasi-contract 176 Exercises 177 8 The law of torts 179 1 The nature of a tort 179 Definition of a tort 180 Damage and liability 180 Malice 181 2 General defences in tort 182 3 Capacity of parties 187 4 Remoteness of damage 190 5 Vicarious liability in tort 191 Joint tortfeasors 195 6 Trespass 195 7 Interference with goods 201 8 Nuisance 203 9 Negligence 208 Contributory negligence 214 10 Breach of statutory duty 216 11 Death: survival of actions 216 12 Occupiers’ liability 218 Dangerous premises 218 Trespassers 219 Children 219 Contents ix 13 The rule in ‘Rylands v. Fletcher’ (1868) 220 14 Defamation 224 15 Deceit 231 16 Malicious falsehood 232 17 Limitation of actions 233 Exercises 234 9 Trusts 237 1 Definition of a trust 237 2 Private trusts 238 3 Public (or charitable) trusts 240 4 Differences between private and charitable trusts 242 5 The rules against perpetuities 243 6 Trustees 243 7 Trust corporations 243 8 Appointment of trustees 244 9 Termination of trusteeship 244 10 Duties and powers of trustees 244 11 Liability for breaches of trust 246 12 Following the trust property (tracing) 246 13 Relief from liability for breach 247 Exercises 247 10 The law of property 249 1 Ownership 249 2 Possession 250 3 Property 251 4 Freehold and leasehold land 253 5 Reform of the land law 256 6 An estate in fee simple absolute in possession 257 Extent of rights 258 7 Future estates 259 8 Settlements and trusts for sale 260 The Settled Land Act, 1925 261 9 Co-ownership 263 10 Leaseholds 264 Tenancies 265 Creation of leases 266 Duties of landlord and tenant 266 Express covenants 267 11 Servitudes 268 12 Commonhold 270 13 Restrictive covenants 271 14 Mortgages 272 15 The sale of land 276 16 Registered land 278 Exercises 279 11 The law of succession 281 1 Wills 281 2 Legacies and devises 286 3 Specimen will 287 4 Family provision 288 x Contents 5 Personal representatives 289 Probate and letters of administration 290 6 Intestacy 292 7 Gifts ‘inter vivos’ 294 8 ‘Donatio mortis causa’ 294 Exercises 294 12 Criminal law 297 1 Definition of crime 297 2 Sources 297 3 Classifications 298 4 Criminal liability 298 Actus reus 299 Mens rea 299 Negligence 300 Strict liability 300 Vicarious liability 301 Corporate liability 302 Corporate manslaughter 303 5 Exemptions from liability 303 6 Parties to a crime 303 7 General defences 304 Automatism 304 Mistake 305 Insanity 305 Intoxication by drink or drugs 306 Prevention of crime: arrest 308 Private defence 308 Necessity 308 Duress 309 Coercion 309 Superior orders 309 8 Inchoate offences 309 9 Burden of proof 311 10 Offences against the person 311 Murder 311 Manslaughter 313 Involuntary manslaughter 315 Causing or allowing death of a child or vulnerable adult 316 Infanticide 317 Causing death by dangerous driving 317 Child destruction and abortion 317 Assault and battery 317 Assault occasioning actual bodily harm 318 Malicious wounding 319 Wounding with intent 319 Administering poison 319 Assault on, resistance to, or obstruction of a police constable in the execution of his or her duty 319 Protection from harassment 319 Firearms and offensive weapons 319 Sexual offences 320 11 Offences against property 321 Offences under the Theft Act, 1968 321 Contents xi Theft 321 Robbery 323 Burglary 324 Removal of articles from places open to the public 324 Taking a motor vehicle or other conveyance without authority 324 Dealing in stolen vehicle parts 325 Abstracting of electricity 325 Obtaining property by deception 325 Obtaining a pecuniary advantage by deception 326 False accounting 326 Liability of company officers for offences by the company 327 False statements by company directors, etc. 327 Suppression of documents 327 Blackmail 327 Handling stolen goods 327 Offences under the Theft Act, 1978 328 Obtaining services by deception 328 Evasion of liability by deception 329 Making off without payment 329 Criminal damage 329 Forgery 331 Trespass 332 Unlawful eviction and harassment of a residential occupier 333 12 Other offences 333 Bigamy 333 Road traffic offences 334 Control of dangerous dogs 335 Prevention of terrorism 335 Disruptive or drunken people on aircraft 336 Prevention of violence or disorder at football matches 336 Assisting arrestable offenders 336 Concealing an arrestable offence 336 Causing wasteful employment of the police 337 Illegally dealing in cultural objects 337 Computer misuse 337 Misuse of telecommunications system 337 13 Provisions for combating crime and disorder 337 14 Criminal Injuries Compensation Board 337 15 Assets Recovery Agency 338 Exercises 338 13 Procedure 339 1 The new Civil Procedure 339 Case management 340 Pre-action protocols 341 Commencement of proceedings 341 The claim form 341 Statements of truth 342 Part 8 – Alternative procedure for claims 342 The trial 343 Steps in a default action 343 The enforcement of county court judgments 344 Costs 346 Enforcement of judgments in the High Court 346 xii Contents 2 Criminal procedure 346 3 Proceedings in magistrates’ courts 347 Process by summons 347 Process by warrant 348 4 Proceedings in the Crown Court 349 Indictment 349 Arraignment 349 Proceedings against children and young persons 351 Arrest and habeas corpus 351 5 Standard works 352 Exercises 352 14 European Union law 353 1 Introduction 353 2 Background 353 3 Sources of Community law 353 Primary source law 353 Secondary source law 354 4 The European Union today 354 Institutions of the European Union 354 Bodies of the European Union 356 5 European Union law in the United Kingdom 357 6 Principle of direct effect 357 7 Freedom of movement 357 Free movement of goods 357 Free movement of persons 357 8 Competition law 358 9 Social policy 358 10 The future 359 Appendix 1 – Glossary of terms 361 Appendix 2 – Examination technique 365 Law questions 365 Example 1 366 Example 2 367 Appendix 3 – List of abbreviations: Law Reports 369 Table of cases 373 Table of statutes 389 Index 395