A Legal History for Australia

This is a contemporary legal history book for Australian law students, written in an engaging style and rich with learning features and illustrations. The writers are a unique combination of talents, bringing together their fields of research and teaching in Australian history, British constitutional history and modern Australian law.The first part provides the social and political contexts for legal history in medieval and early modern England and America, explaining the English law which came to Australia in 1788. This includes:The origins of the common lawThe growth of the legal professionThe making of the Magna CartaThe English Civil WarsThe Bill of RightsThe American War of Independence.The second part examines the development of the law in Australia to the present day, including:The English criminal justice system and convict transportationThe role of the Privy Council in 19th centuryIndigenous Australia in the colonial periodThe federation movementConstitutional IndependenceThe 1967 Australian referendum and the land rights movement.The comprehensive coverage of several centuries is balanced by a dynamic writing style and tools to guide the student through each chapter including learning outcomes, chapter outlines and discussion points.The historical analysis is brought to life by the use of primary documentary evidence such as charters, statutes, medieval source books and Coke's reports, and a series of historical cameos - focused studies of notable people and issues from King Edward I and Edward Coke to Henry Parkes and Eddie Mabo - and constitutional detours addressing topics such as the separation of powers, judicial review and federalism.A Legal History for Australia is an engaging textbook, cogently written and imaginatively resourced and is supported by a companion website:

“"I think the book will be excellent as extension reading for any students in my course who want more depth on the origins of Australian law ... the book is engaging and thoughtful, viewing the material through a more contemporary lens then some competitors." - Dr Amelia Simpson, Sydney Law School”

There is no doubt that this book adopts a completely new approach to Australian legal history … moving students towards a critical understanding of law through concrete historic events demystifying the law and recognising that it is shaped by its historical context … each chapter may stand alone as a teaching construct in its own right incorporating a glossary, chapter overview, historical cameos, constitutional detours and a pause for thought … while the chapters respond to each other and proceed chronologically, they can be adapted to various teaching approaches. -- Emeritus Professor David Barker Australian Law Journal
I think the book will be excellent as extension reading for any students in my course who want more depth on the origins of Australian law ... the book is engaging and thoughtful, viewing the material through a more contemporary lens then some competitors. -- Dr Amelia Simpson Sydney Law School

Sarah McKibbin is Lecturer in Law, and Libby Connors and Marcus Harmes are Associate Professors, all at the University of Southern Queensland.

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