Human Rights Law & Practice, 2nd Edition

General editors: Lord Lester of Herne Hill QC & David Pannick QC

LexisNexis UK, 150

Richard Stein

Given the prominence of this book's editors and contributors in the human rights field, it comes as no surprise that this second edition provides a valuable reference source for practitioners whose work requires them to be up to speed in this area of law.

Human rights is recognised as being a most complex field, particularly because of the ways in which it impacts on many other legal specialisms.

The application by the courts of the main concepts and principles embodied in the Human Rights Act 1998 is rarely straightforward, given the complex balancing required of the different rights in play.

For all practitioners who need to be up to speed on human rights law, this book will be of great assistance.

Whereas the first edition anticipated the implementation of the Act, this second edition draws heavily on how its provisions have been applied since it came into force more than three years ago.

This recent material is particularly important.

Following a summary of the history of fundamental and human rights in the UK, the authors review the provisions of the Human Rights Act 1998 and principles to be applied in its interpretation.

The bulk of the book then runs through the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), article by article, analysing the approach taken by the courts - both domestic and by the European Court of Human Rights - in applying the provisions.

Chapters follow that focus on the impact of incorporation of the ECHR in the jurisdictions of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.

The book concludes with a review of the mechanism for parliamentary scrutiny of human rights compliance and a summary of the other international human rights instruments to which the UK is party, and how they interrelate with the ECHR.

The text is helpfully set out in a schematic way, which makes it easy to find the answers to the practical queries faced by practitioners.

The use of numerous sub-headings and detailed references, which follow each paragraph, allow the broad principles to be accessed easily, with more detailed analysis available where needed.

There are useful and detailed references to the domestic and international jurisprudence in the text, including many recent cases.

This book will become an indispensable source to be consulted when grappling with the approach to be taken by the courts to a human rights question.