Includes bibliographical references and index.

"This section therefore considers the rationale for law from social and moral perspectives, and reflects on further jurisprudential perspectives, considering a number of legal and ethi-cal theories. It then focuses on the development of legal systems, illustrated with practical examples from a range of jurisdictions, and compares common law and civil law systems. Within the context of the English legal system, there is coverage of the courts, and the civil and criminal justice systems. The various sources of law are explained, with specific cover-age of case law and the doctrine of precedent, and statutes. Throughout this section, there is a theme of contemporary application: the current function of legal systems and their effect on individuals, businesses, and commerce. This leads to consideration of why and when legal services are required; the range of ways in which these are provided and by whom; the regulation and ethics of legal services provision; and the changing nature of the legal services market"-- Provided by publisher.