Alfred Denning – författare

Lord Denning draws from a wide range of sources to support his arguments and incorporates coverage of many different cases, including that of the Russell baby, the Granada 'mole' and the case of Harriet Harman, all of which are selected on the grounds that 'the experience of the past points the way to the future'. The book also discusses the proposals for law reform which have come from numerous Royal Commissions, Departmental Committees and Blue Books and which were all rejected by successive governments at the time of publication.

The underlying theme of this book is 'that the principles of law laid down by the Judges in the 19th century - however suited to social conditions of the time - are not suited to the social necessities and social opinion of the 20th century. They should be moulded and shaped to meet the needs and opinions of today. The Discipline of Law is a fascinating account of Lord Denning's personal contribution to the changing face of the law in this century.

Two central themes run through The Due Process of Law. The first is the workings of the various "measures authorised by the law so as to keep the streams of justice pure" - that is to say, contempt of court, judicial inquiries, and powers of arrest and search. The second is the recent development of family law, focusing particularly on Lord Denning's contribution to the law of husband and wife. These broad themes are elaborated through a discussion of Lord Denning's own judgments and opinions on a wide range of topics.

The Closing Chapter contains, in Book One, a sequel to Lord Denning's autobiography, The Family Story. In it he tells with disarming and touching candour of the circumstances of the publication and withdrawal of What Next in the Law and of his decision to retire from the Master of the Rolls. Book Two contains a fascinating account of some of the leading contentious legal issues of the day, in which he has played a singular part.