Knowing the Poor: A Case Study in Textual Reality Construction Book

It is nearly a pleasure reading Lord Denning's " What Next in the Law" as he writes about legal issues without using the technical jargons in simple English. Lord Denning, based on his experience in interpreting law for a long time in England, traces the history of law in various subjects like Trial by Jury, Legal Aid, Tort, Libel, Privacy and human rights and comes up with suggestions for making reforms. There is an introduction by way of a sketch of some of the great English reformers. The narration is riveting, full of examples of case laws decided on the subjects touched by him. Lord Denning is pragmatic and does not split his hairs on the interpretation of the law. His approach is pragmatic and he explains quite convincingly the rationale for many of his decisions, some of which were reversed on appeal. For him there is always a necessity of balancing the overall social need with the liberties of individuals. He feels that the Judges should be in a position to strike down laws if they are repugnant to democratic principles. He is critical of US judicial system which has led to vexatious and wasteful litigation because of ambulance chasers. A book not to be missed by not only legal practitioners but also anybody interested in understanding law.