New Zealand Law: Foundations and Method (2nd edition)

New Zealand Law: Foundations and Method (2nd edition) is a complete, easy-to-read introduction written with a focus on student learning.  It brings the theory to life with plenty of worked examples, questions and answers, and practice exercises throughout the text and is an essential tool for any legal method student.

Previously published as the New Zealand Legal Method Handbook, the new edition has been renamed to reflect the introduction of content on legal foundations as well as thoroughly revised discussion of the principles of legal method. Through a mixture of expanded work and new topics.

The book is separated into 8 parts and contains 23 chapters which introduce and develop the concepts covered in legal foundations and method papers. New Zealand Law: Foundations and Method (2nd edition) remains an essential text for students sitting their first year of law

PART 1: Legal Systems

Chapter 1: Which Legal System?

PART 2: Aspects of New Zealand’s Legal System

Chapter 2: The New Zealand Legal System

Chapter 3: Selected Timelines in New Zealand Legal History

Chapter 4: Classifications of Law

Chapter 5: New Zealand’s Systems of Justice

Chapter 6: The Legal Profession and its Terminology

PART 3: New Zealand’s Constitution

Chapter 7: The New Zealand Structure of Government

Chapter 8: The New Zealand Constitution and its Sources

Chapter 9: Fundamental Constitutional Principles

PART 4: Legislation and Lawmaking in New Zealand

Chapter 10: Making Law in New Zealand

PART 5: Statutes and Statutory Interpretation

Chapter 11: The Language and Style of Statutes  – and the Need for Interpretation

Chapter 12: Approaches to Interpretation

Chapter 13: The New Zealand Approach to Interpretation: The Interpretation Act 1999 and Other Statutes

Chapter 14: Common Law Aids to Interpretation

Chapter 15: A Suggested Methodology, and Exercises in Statutory Interpretation

PART 6: Case Law and Analysis

Chapter 16: Introduction to Case Law

Chapter 17: The Doctrine of Binding Precedent

Chapter 18: Ratio Decidendi and Obiter Dictum

Chapter 19: Analysing Cases

Chapter 20: The Language and Style of Cases

Chapter 21: Developing a Body of Law

PART 7: The Relationship Between Statute and Case Law

Chapter 22: Combining Statute and Case Law

PART 8: Legal Writing

Chapter 23: Legal Writing

Tables and Index

Table of Statutes and Regulations

Tables of Cases

Index