An Introduction to British Law

Prof. Francis Lyall An Introduction to British Law Second Edition Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft Baden-Baden

TABLE OF CONTENTS Editor's Introduction 14 Author's Preface 15 Author's Preface to Second Edition 18 PART I: INTRODUCTION Introduction 19 1.1. Tradition, fields of law and legal sources 20 1.1.1 The tradition of the legal systems 21 a. Reception 21 b. English law 22 c. Scots law 24 1.1.2. The fields of law 25 a. Private law - Public law - Criminal law 25 b. Substantive law, formal right and adjective law 26 1.1.3. Sources of law 27 a. Legislation : Statutory law and its importance 27 1. The Westminster Parliament 27 Referenda 30 2. The Scottish Parliament 31 b. Hierarchy of legislation 31 c. Case law 32 d. Recognised custom 33 e. Prerogative 34 f. European law 34 1. European Union law 34 2. The European Convention on Human R ights 35 g. Law of Nations (Public International Law) 35 1.2. Jurisdiction 36 1.2.1. Introduction 36 1.2.2. The different branches of jurisdiction 37 a. Civil Jurisdiction 37 b. Criminal Jurisdiction 38 c. Jurisdiction of labour courts 39 d. Administrative jurisdiction 39 e. Social Security jurisdiction 40

f. Finance court jurisdiction 40 g. Jurisdiction of the constitutional court 41 1.3. The Legal Profession 42 1.4. Legal Literature 44 1.4.1. Compendiumsoflaws 44 1.4.2. Law Reports 45 1.4.3. Law books 46 1.4.4. Commentaries 47 1.4.5. Law Reviews 47 1.4.6. Computers and the Law 48 1.5. Law Reform 49 1.6. Ministering Justice 50 PART II: PUBLIC LAW II. 1. Public Law and Constitutional Law 53 II. 1.1. General 53 II. 1.2. An unwritten constitution 54 II.1.3. The Conventions of the Constitution 57 II. 1.4. History 59 II. 1.5. Parliamentary sovereignty: the legislative supremacy of parliament 67 II. 1.6 Parliamentary privilege 70 II.2. State law and constitutional law 73 II.2.1. Constitutional law 73 a. Introduction 73 aa.idea, traits and functions of the constituti on 73 The Separation of Powers 74 bb. Purview, and the law of nationality 74 b. Fundamental rights 76 aa. Idea, traits and functions of fundamental rights 76 bb. Particular fundamental rights 78 cc. The legal protection of fundamental rights 81 c. The governmental system 83

aa. General characteristics of the constitution 83 bb. The organs of state: The Crown, the Legislature and the Executive 84 1. The Crown. 84 2. The Legislature: Parliament 85 a. The House of Lords 87 b. The House of Commons 90 c. Conflict between the Houses 94 d. The European Parliament and other institutions 95 3. The Executive 96 a. Government ministries 97 b. Ministers 98 c. The Prime Minister and the Cabinet 98 d. The Cabinet 99 e. The Civil Service 100 f. Nationalised industries 101 cc. Incorporation of European Community Law; the Law of Nations 102 dd. The position of political parties in the constitution 102 ee. Status of religious bodies 104 1. The Established Churches. 105 2. The Church of England 105 3. The Church of Scotland 107 4. Other churches and faiths 108 ff. Financial constitution 110 gg. State emergency 112 II.3 Administrative Law 113 11.3.1. Introduction 113 a. The administrative organisation and duties 114 b. Public property law 116 c. Legal acting by the public administration 116 d. Administrative procedure 117 e. Public liability 117 11.3.2. Important branches of administrative law 119 a. Police law 119 b. Local government and municipal law 121 England 123 Scotland 125 Elections, functions and finance 125 c. Town and Country Planning 127 d. Construction law 128 e. Law concerning aliens: immigration 129

Aliens 129 Immigration 130 Asylum 132 f. Military law 133 g. Environmental law 135 h. Education and Cultural law 138 Education 138 Culture 139 i. Civil and public services law 140 j. Health and Safety at Work 141 k. National Health 142 1. Social security law 145 m. Housing 147 n. Economic administration law 148 0. Media law 149 General 149 Theatre and Cinema: Video recordings 151 Broadcasting 152 Press and publishing 152 p. Public right of way, roads and traffic law 153 Public Transport 153 Rail Transport 153 Road Transport 154 Air Transport 154 Canals and Inland Waterways 15 5 Public Rights of Way 155 Pipelines, etc. 155 Roads, etc. 156 Road Traffic 156 q. Tax law 157 II.3.3. Remedies in Administrative Law 158 1. Administrative remedies 158 a. Administrative remedies: tribunals 158 b. Parliamentary remedies 160 c. The Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration 161 d. Other Commissioners 162 2. Judicial remedies 164 a. Appeal on law 164 b. Judicial review of administrative action 164 Natural justice 165 Procedural grounds for judicial review 168 Speed of remedies 169

11.4 Devolution 170 II.4.1 Scotland 171 11.4.2. Wales 175 11.4.3. Northern Ireland 177 11.4.4. London and other cities 179 PART III: CRIMINAL LAW III. 1. History and System of Criminal Law 181 III.2. The General Part of Criminal Law 183 111.2.1. Extent of validity 183 a. Breach of Law 183 Territoriality 184 111.2.2. The Criminal Act 185 a. Basis of Liability to Penalty 185 Actusreus 185 Mens rea 186 Age 187 Immunity 187 b. Attempt and completed crime 188 c. Commission and complicity 189 d. Defences 190 Prejudicial publicity: fairness 190 Insanity 190 Mental weakness or disease, etc. 191 Provocation 191 Necessity, coercion or duress 191 Superior orders 192 Religious belief 192 Self-defence 192 Force in the prevention of crime and during arrest 193 e. Legal justification and excuses 193 IH.2.3. The legal consequences of crime 194 a. Penalties, fines and other penal sanctions 194 b. Sentence: the award of punishment 198 c. Mercy, Pardon and Miscarriage of Justice 199 III.2.4. The limitation of criminal prosecution 200

ITl.2.5. The Rehabilitation of Offenders 201 111.3. Different offences 202 Offences against the Government and the Public 202 Offences against the Person 204 Offences against Property 205 111.4. Juvenile penal law 206 England 206 Scotland 206 III. 5. Criminal procedure 207 III. 5.1. Idea, traits and functions of the criminal trial 207 The Jury 207 111.5.2. Procedural principles 209 111.5.3. Criminal prosecution 210 a. General 210 b. England 211 Serious Fraud Office 212 Crown Prosecution Service 212 Private Prosecution in England 213 c. Scotland 214 Private Prosecution in Scotland 215 III. 5.4. Preparation and process of the trial 216 a. Choice of forum 216 b. Time limits 217 England 217 Scotland 217 c. Bail 218 d. Trial procedure and practice 218 III.5.5. Execution of sentence 220 PART IV : PRIVATE LAW IV. 1. History and System of the Civil Law 223 England 223 Scotland 224 General 225 10

IV.2. The General Part of Private Law 226 IV.2.1. Legal transactions 226 a. Types of legal transaction 227 b. Legal acts : legal transactions 227 aa. The will and its expression or representation 228 bb. The absence of intention 228 cc. Legal capacity of individuals 229 dd. Juristic persons 230 ee. Legal forms or forma 230 ff. Illegality and unconscionability 231 gg. Agency 232 IV.2.2. Limitation of actions, prescription 234 IV.3. The General Part of the Law of Obligations (contract) 235 IV.3.1. Principle of good faith 236 IV.3.2. Offer and Acceptance: consideration 237 IV.3.3. Impossibility, frustration and error or mistake 240 a. Impossibility 240 b. Frustration 240 c. Error or Mistake 240 IV.3.4 Terms express and implied. Interpretation 241 a. Term express and implied 241 b. Interpretation 242 IV.3.5. Forms and standard or adhesion contracts 242 a. Forms 242 b. Standard or adhesion contracts 243 IV.3.6. Termination of contract: performance, agreement, frustration and extinction of a claim 244 IV.3.7. Interference with the performance of an obligation 244 IV.3.8. The general right of indemnity 245 IV.3.9. The effects of a contract on third parties 245 IV.3.10. Plurality of creditors or debtors 247 IV.4. The Particular Part of the Law of Obligations 248 IV.4.1. Contracts protected by law 248 a. Sale, Purchase: Sale of Goods 248 aa. Contractual obligations 248 bb. The passing of property 249 cc. The passing of the risk 250 11

dd. Warranty 250 ee. Particular types of contracts 251 b. Gift (donation) 251 c. Lease 251 d. Service and Services 253 e. Other types of contract 253 Hire 254 Loan 254 Deposit 254 IV.4.2. Management of affairs without mandate 254 IV.4.3. Obligations arising by operation of law 255 a. Quasi- contract (illicit enrichment) 256 IV.4.4. Special types of contracts 256 IV.4.5. General terms and conditions of trade and customer protection 258 IV. 5. The Law of Torts (delict) and strict liability 261 IV.6. The Law of Property 265 IV.6.1. Possession 267 IV.6.2. Property 268 a. Corporeal property 268 b. Incorporeal property 269 IV.6.3. Security rights 269 IV.7. Family Law 271 IV.7.1. General 271 IV.7.2. Marriage 271 IV.7.3. Termination of marriage 274 a. Death 274 b. Presumption of death 274 c. Divorce 274 d. Nullity 275 IV.7.3. Other arrangements with legal consequences 275 IV.7.4. Parent and child 275 IV.8. Law of Succession 277 a. Matters common to both England and Scotland 277 b. England 279 c. Scotland 280 12

IV.9. International Private Law 281 IV. 10. Commercial and Company law 282 IV. 10.1. General 282 a. Commercial law 282 b. Trade Associations 282 c. Partnership 283 aa. Limited Partnership 284 bb. Termination of partnership 284 cc. Advantages and disadvantages of partnership 285 dd. Limited Liability Partnerships 285 d. Companies 286 aa. Private companies 288 c. Negotiable instruments 288 aa. Definition 288 bb. Bills of exchange and cheque law 289 IV. 10.2. Competition law, the protection of industrial property and copyright 290 a. Competition law 290 b. Patents, Copyright, and the protection of industrial property 291 IV. 10.3. Insolvency law 292 a. Company insolvency 292 b. Bankruptcy of an individual 293 IV. 10.4. Insurance law 294 IV. 11. Labour Law 296 IV. 11.1. The development and sources of Labour Law 296 IV. 11.2. Individual Labour Law 296 IV.11.3. Collective Labour Law 300 IV. 11.4. Industrial Relations 301 IV. 12. The rules of civil procedure 304 IV.12.1. Idea, traits and functions of civil trial jurisdiction 304 IV. 12.2. The principles of civil procedure 306 IV.12.3. The preparation and process of civil trial 306 IV. 12.4. Compulsory execution of judgement 307 IV. 12.5. The international rules of civil procedure 307 Bibliography 309 Index 311 13