Landmark Cases in Family Law

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There are a number of important (landmark) cases in the development of Family Law in England and Wales that deserve detailed examination and lend themselves particularly well to historical examination. Family law cases tend to raise highly controversial issues, often on striking facts, frequently provoking wider social debate and/or extensive publicity. Consequently, the landmark cases chosen for this collection provide considerable scope, not only for doctrinal analysis and explanation of the importance and impact of the decisions, but also for in-depth examination of the social or policy developments that influenced them. The stories behind the cases provide a fascinating insight into the complexities of family life and the drama that can be found in the family courts. In recent years, Family Law has seen enormous changes in law's engagement with the notion of 'family', with the enactment, for example, of the Civil Partnership Act 2004, the Gender Recognition Act 2004 and, more recently, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008. As we begin to move forward into the new millennium, this is an excellent time to engage in detailed analyses and 'stock-taking' of the landmark decisions, many of which were decided in the 1970s, and which have shaped modern Family Law. This book provides a series of in-depth studies of the key leading cases, and will be of interest to students and lecturers alike.

Reviews

...a journey through the 'landmark cases' skilfully selected by the Editors of this Volume provides an effective way of making a study of the law both exciting and pleasurable. But these cases do more than that: they illustrate many of the great changes which have occurred (especially since the end of World War II) in society and in social institutions. The cases discussed also open up many of the fundamental (and often profoundly difficult) moral and social issues which have to be confronted by lawmakers and others who have to resolve them. From the foreword by Stephen Cretney

Author Bio

Stephen Gilmore is Senior Lecturer in Family Law at King's College London. Jonathan Herring is a University Lecturer and Fellow and Tutor in Law at Exeter College, Oxford University. Rebecca Probert is Professor of Law at the University of Warwick.