Law in Politics, Politics in Law

Description

A great deal has been written on the relationship between politics and law. Legislation, as a source of law, is often highly political, and is the product of a process or the creation of officials often closely bound into party politics. Legislation is also one of the exclusive powers of the state. As such, legislation is plainly both practical and inevitably political; at the same time most understandings of the relationship between law and politics have been overwhelmingly theoretical. In this light, public law is often seen as part of the political order or as inescapably partisan. We know relatively little about the real impact of law on politicians through their legal advisers and civil servants. How do lawyers in government see their roles and what use do they make of law? How does politics actually affect the drafting of legislation or the making of policy? This volume will begin to answer these and other questions about the practical, day-to-day relationship between law and politics in a number of settings. It includes chapters by former departmental legal advisers, drafters of legislation, law reformers, judges and academics, who focus on what actually happens when law meets politics in government.

David Feldman is the Rouse Ball Professor of English Law at the University of Cambridge, and a Fellow of Downing College.

I do not hesitate to recommend this book, both to participants in political and legal process and also the interested general reader: it contains a great deal of first-class material and is a welcome addition to the literature in this area. -- Saira Salimi * Statute Law Review, Volume 35, Number 2 * One of the most noticeable features of this collection - and perhaps the main source of its originality and diversity - is the impressive range of contributors. Overall, this is a terrific collection of essays [which will] be of value to anyone interested in the 'stuff' of law and politics. Even those well versed in that 'stuff' will surely find some thought-provoking new perspectives here. -- Joseph Tomlinson * The Journal of Legislative Studies, 2014 * Overall, this collection presents the complexities of the relationship between politics and law rather well, even if, as with most edited collections, one would struggle to refine a clear and focused conclusion having read all the chapters. However, while this is often a problem, here it more fairly represents the analytical differences that are evident in examining the subject. -- Christopher May * Political Studies Review * This rigorous, ranging and broad-minded book reflects the best of two worlds; it is a valuable read for those who try to walk the line between them -- Mark Davies * The Table * The book provides well-rounded insight into the intricate relationship between Politics and Law. -- J. Kern * European Review of Public Law * ...the value [of this volume] lies in the fact that it brings together a multiplicity of highly-respected voices, not only from academia, but also from institutional and professional levels, who have been working on the various possible ways of interpreting the relationship between politics and law. (Translated from the original Italian.) -- Nicola Lupo * Rivista Trimestrale di Diritto Pubblico 4/2014 (Oct-Dec) * ...this is an interesting book with chapters written by experts in their field. -- Ronan Cormacain * The Theory and Practice of Legislation * Law in Politics, Politics in Law makes clear that its remit is not to examine directly the impacts of courts on politics or the development of judicial review as a legal mechanism for calling politics to account. Yet it makes an important contribution to the debate through its analysis of the day-to-day realities of the relationship. -- Justine Thornton QC * Journal of Environmental Law *