The Foundations and Future of Public Law

Public law in the UK and EU has undergone seismic changes over the last forty years: development and membership of the EU, the Human Rights Act, devolution, the fostering of public law expertise within the judiciary, the globalization of public law, and the increased interaction between the academy, judiciary, barristers, public interest groups, and legislatures have transformed the public law landscape. Commentators spend much time at the frontiers of the subject, responding rapidly to new developments and providing guidance to scholars, legislators, and judges for future directions. In these circumstances, there is rarely a chance to reflect upon the implications of these changes for the fundamentals of public law and how those fundamentals relate to one another.

In this collection, leading figures in UK and EU public law address this lacuna. Inspired by the depth, scope, and ambition of the work of Paul Craig, Professor of English Law at Oxford University, the focus of this collection is upon exploring and reflecting upon six fundamentals of public law and the interrelationship between them: legislation, case law, theory, institutions, process, and constitutions.