Foreign and Comparative Law: Where to Begin

This nutshell offers an overview of the methods of comparative law and of the two most widespread legal traditions in the world: civil (or Romano-Germanic) law and common law. Topics covered include history, legal structures, roles of central legal actors, civil and criminal procedure, principal sources of law and divisions of substantive law, and the judicial process. Throughout, the discussion also includes references to the place and importance of supranational law and institutions and their impact on the civil law and common law traditions in Europe.

This text places national laws in the broader context of major legal traditions, those of chthonic (or indigenous) law, talmudic law, civil law, islamic law, common law, hindu law and confucian law. Each tradition is examined in terms of its institutions and substantive law, its founding concepts and methods, its attitude towards the concept of change and its teaching on relations with other traditions and peoples. The concept of legal tradition is explained as non-conflictual in character and compatible with new and inclusive forms of logic.

Contains a cumulative index to the Modern Legal Systems set, which will be updated as warranted, as well as the World Law School Directory.

Written by leading authorities in their respective fields, the contributions in this accessible book cover and combine not only questions regarding the methodology of comparative law, but also specific areas of law (such as administrative law and criminal

This fully revised and updated second edition of The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Law provides a wide-ranging and diverse critical survey of comparative law at the beginning of the twenty-first century.

For any reader needing a concise yet expert explanation of a subject in law the New Oxford Companion to Law is the ideal reference work. Providing greater depth than can be found in legal dictionaries but always accessible to the non-specialist, entries in the Companion cover all areas of law and legal systems and are extensively cross-referenced for ease of navigation.

Excellent guide to international and foreign legal research with extensive lists of resources. Also available electronically.

Focuses primarily on US and EU.