Laying Down the Law

Abstract

This is the seventh edition of 'Laying Down the Law'. Seven editions of any text is a notable achievement and reflect the fact that 'Laying Down the Law' has been the standard text in Australia for an introduction to the study of law for nearly twenty-five years. This longevity has been due to a number of the features of the work. The first of these is the continuing appropriateness of the material and the approach to learning which the book epitomises. The authors strive to keep abreast, between one edition and the next, not only of developments in the law but to changes in styles of learning and teaching between one edition and the next. Second, there has been a continuing commitment to this work by the authors. Three of the four authors have been writing this book since its inception. That commitment has continued despite the fact that they are now geographically dispersed. Catriona Cook has been teaching at King's College, London since 1995; Robert Geddes moved to the University of New England in 1996, which leaves Robin Creyke as the only original author still located at the Australian National University. David Hamer, the current fourth author, is at the University of Queensland, and he has made valuable contributions to this work, particularly in the areas of legal reasoning and writing, as well as in strategies for research. That commitment is shown by the willingness of the authors to gather in Canberra prior to each new edition to share ideas and to plan for the update, a practice which commenced with the second edition. A third feature of this work is that it has benefited considerably from former authors. The initial concept of this book was that of Gwen Morris and we hope she is proud of the success of her progeny. The elegantly written and well researched legal history material was a product of the keen interest in such matters of Ian Holloway. John Seymour's eye for detail and his scrupulous attention to the accuracy of principle and of its presentation has continued to benefit those who consult the citation and legal research and writing chapters. The current authors acknowledge with gratitude this contribution of former contributors to this work. A fourth element of this text has been the diligent and careful updating of material in the legal research chapters... Finally this work owes its new livery, its additional services and educational aids to the enthusiasm and ideas of the LexisNexis Butterworths team... Their input has moved 'Laying Down the Law' into a new phase of its life.