Table of Contents
Preface xiii
Online appendices xxiv
Acknowledgements xxv
Abbreviations xxvii
Table of statutes and legislative instruments xxix
Table of cases xxxvii
Part I 1
1 Some food for thought 3
1 Introduction 3
2 The pervasiveness of norms 6
3 Normative and legal pluralism 6
4 Interpretation 10
5 Standpoint and role 15
6 Rules and relationships 23
7 Rules and reasons 32
8 Rules and results 35
9 Visual presentations of rules 44
10 Statutory interpretation and precedent: bigamy 46
11 Discretion to disobey 53
12 Human rights and freedoms 58
Part II Reading, using and interpreting rules in general 67
2 Problems and mischiefs 69
3 Of rules in general 80
1 What is a rule? 80
2 Rules and values 87
3 The form and structure of a rule 89
4 Rules, exceptions and exemptions 92
5 The variety of rules 94
6 Rules and systems 97
7 Reifying rules: a note of warning 102
8 The functions of rules 107
9 Rules as techniques of social management 111
10 Two views of rules: formalism and instrumentalism 114
11 Other perspectives on rules 119
4 Interpretation and application 121
1 Interpretation: what? 122
2 Law and fact 125
3 Interpretation and application 131
4 Rule-handling 132
5 Who interprets? 133
6 Role-makers and rule-interpreters 141
7 Legalism 143
8 Leeways for interpretation and application 145
5 Imperfect rules 148
1 The factual context of rules 149
2 Intentions, reasons and purposes 150
3 The role of purposes and other reasons in interpretation 158
4 Rules and language 162
5 The open texture of rules 169
Part III Reading law: reading, using and interpreting legislation and cases 173
6 Routine and problematic readings 175
1 Routine readings 175
2 Problematic readings: conditions of doubt 176
3 A diagnostic model: structure 178
4 A diagnostic model: application 183
7 Legislation 193
1 Introduction 193
2 Reading legislation: what? Why? how? 195
8 Interpreting legislation 230
1 Clarification of standpoint and role 231
2 Checking the currency of the statutory material 231
3 Identification of the conditions of doubt 235
4 The construction of arguments 236
9 Reading cases 268
1 Reading cases: what? Why? how? 268
2 Cases as precedents 276
3 Two perspectives on precedent 277
4 The doctrine of precedent 279
5 The practice of precedent 295
6 The ratio decidendi of a case 304
7 X = X = X 312
10 The European dimension 315
1 The European Union 315
2 The European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms 325
3 The Human Rights Act 1998 326
4 A note on judicial style 334
11 Rules, reasoning and interpretation 336
1 From diagnosis to argument 336
2 The structure of argument R v. Allen 338
3 Reasoning, rules and law 343
4 Lawyers' reasonings 363
5 Epilogue: towards a theory of legal interpretation? 365
6 Literary analogies, radical indeterminacy and noble dreams 370
Part IV 377
Questions and exercises 379
Index 391
Resources on the web
The following text can be found on-line at cambridge.org/twiningandmiers
Appendix I Supplementary materials and exercises on Chapter1
Appendix II Normative and legal pluralism
Appendix III Visual presentation of rules
Appendix IV The Reading Law Cookbook
Appendix V Supplementary materials and exercises on Chapters 7-10
Appendix VI Supplementary materials and exercises on Chapters 9 and 11
Appendix VII Domestic violence: a case study
Appendix VIII MPs' expenses: a case study
Appendix IX Hunting Act 2004: a case study
Appendix X Suggestions for further reading
