Precedent in English Law
- ISBN
- 9780198877202
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Published
- 2022
- Language
- English
- Pages
- 246
- Genre
- Law
- Location
- Open Shelf
About the book
"Precedent in English Law" by Rupert Cross and J. W. Harris is a classic textbook that explains how English judges use past court decisions to make new rulings. The book maps out how the legal system works, including which higher courts have the authority to bind lower courts, how judges decide whether to follow or overturn past cases, and how to separate the main legal rule from extra comments made by the judge. Ultimately, Cross and Harris show how judges use these tools to keep the law fair, predictable, and consistent, while still leaving enough room to adapt rules as society changes over time.