Conor McCormick – författare

A collection of some of the best papers presented at the 25th British Legal History Conference at Queen's University Belfast in July 2022, Law and Constitutional Change examines the role that law plays when countries experience a major constitutional upheaval. It examines the interaction of law and politics in history across different legal jurisdictions with different legal traditions. The theme of the conference was 'Law and Constitutional Change' and was inspired by the decade of anniversaries in Ireland (2012-2023) commemorating events from a century ago that began with the Home Rule Crisis and ended with the partition of the country. It studies the changes that occurred at that time in a wider British and Irish as well as international context, with a view to deepening understanding of contemporary debates such as those surrounding Brexit and its longer-term implications. This title is also available as open access on Cambridge Core.

This book provides a detailed account of each law officer’s functions and draws on that account as the basis for a conceptual analysis of their constitutional legitimacy.In recent years, the constitutional legitimacy of law officers has been questioned repeatedly because of recurring controversies surrounding the discharge of their varied functions. Indeed, it has become increasingly clear that those functions enable law officers to play a highly influential part in the regulation and exercise of public power throughout the United Kingdom. McCormick argues that the most persuasive framework for analysing the offices which make up this diverse regime involves concentrating on the constitutional values of independence, accountability and trust which underpin it.Both aspects of the book – namely the explanation of individual functions and the conceptual analysis of collective legitimacy – are written in a holistic way which encompasses critical analyses about the Attorney General and Solicitor General for England and Wales; the Counsel General for Wales; the Lord Advocate, Solicitor General and Advocate General for Scotland, as well as the Attorney General and Advocate General for Northern Ireland.

This book provides a detailed account of each law officer’s functions and draws on that account as the basis for a conceptual analysis of their constitutional legitimacy.In recent years, the constitutional legitimacy of law officers has been questioned repeatedly because of recurring controversies surrounding the discharge of their varied functions. Indeed, it has become increasingly clear that those functions enable law officers to play a highly influential part in the regulation and exercise of public power throughout the United Kingdom. McCormick argues that the most persuasive framework for analysing the offices which make up this diverse regime involves concentrating on the constitutional values of independence, accountability and trust which underpin it.Both aspects of the book – namely the explanation of individual functions and the conceptual analysis of collective legitimacy – are written in a holistic way which encompasses critical analyses about the Attorney General and Solicitor General for England and Wales; the Counsel General for Wales; the Lord Advocate, Solicitor General and Advocate General for Scotland, as well as the Attorney General and Advocate General for Northern Ireland.

This collection of essays is a tribute to Lord Kerr of Tonaghmore, who died aged 72 on 1 December 2020 after having retired from the UK Supreme Court just two months earlier. Brian Kerr was appointed as a judge of the High Court of Northern Ireland in 1993. He became the Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland in 2004 before being elevated to a peerage and appointed as the last Lord of Appeal in Ordinary in June 2009. Four months later, as Lord Kerr, he moved from the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords to the UK Supreme Court where, after exactly 11 years, he concluded his distinguished judicial career as the longest-serving Justice to date. During his career he established an exceptional reputation for independence of thought, fairness and humanitarianism. Lord Kerr’s judicial mind has inspired and influenced a significant number of scholars and jurists throughout the UK and beyond. In this book, his unique brand of jurisprudence is examined alongside a catalogue of broader issues in which he displayed a keen interest during his lifetime. The volume includes topical contributions from a range of legal experts in Britain and Ireland. Lord Kerr’s particular interest in public law, human rights law, criminal law, and family law is featured prominently, but so too is the importance of his dissenting judgments, some influential jurisprudence of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (where he sat on many occasions), the legacy of his influence on the law and legal system of Northern Ireland and the significance of his place in the historical development of judicial roles and responsibilities more generally.

This collection of essays is a tribute to Lord Kerr of Tonaghmore, who died aged 72 on 1 December 2020 after having retired from the UK Supreme Court just two months earlier. Brian Kerr was appointed as a judge of the High Court of Northern Ireland in 1993. He became the Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland in 2004 before being elevated to a peerage and appointed as the last Lord of Appeal in Ordinary in June 2009. Four months later, as Lord Kerr, he moved from the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords to the UK Supreme Court where, after exactly 11 years, he concluded his distinguished judicial career as the longest-serving Justice to date. During his career he established an exceptional reputation for independence of thought, fairness and humanitarianism. Lord Kerr’s judicial mind has inspired and influenced a significant number of scholars and jurists throughout the UK and beyond. In this book, his unique brand of jurisprudence is examined alongside a catalogue of broader issues in which he displayed a keen interest during his lifetime. The volume includes topical contributions from a range of legal experts in Britain and Ireland. Lord Kerr’s particular interest in public law, human rights law, criminal law, and family law is featured prominently, but so too is the importance of his dissenting judgments, some influential jurisprudence of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (where he sat on many occasions), the legacy of his influence on the law and legal system of Northern Ireland and the significance of his place in the historical development of judicial roles and responsibilities more generally.

This engaging book provides a clear and comprehensive account of the legal system of Northern Ireland. For many years it has been a go-to source for students and practitioners of law, yet is also accessible to readers with no prior legal knowledge.The book begins by explaining how Northern Ireland became a separate legal jurisdiction, what its current constitutional arrangements are, how its legislation is made and what kind of courts and judges it has. It then looks at when international law is of importance in Northern Ireland, explaining the role of documents such as the Windsor Framework and the European Convention on Human Rights.There follow chapters on laws applying to public bodies, on institutions involved in criminal justice and on rules governing criminal trials. A chapter on ‘private law’ summarises numerous important fields such as consumer law, employment law, succession law and family law. The book concludes with explanations of how civil cases are processed through Northern Ireland’s courts and of the role of lawyers and legal aid schemes.The appendices set out sample sources of law for illustrative purposes.This new edition, now co-authored, has been thoroughly updated with a view to making it even more informative and relevant to readers’ needs. It is a ‘must have’ for anyone wanting to come to grips with the detailed features of a jurisdiction which has long been the subject of political contention and which is constantly developing.

This engaging book provides a clear and comprehensive account of the legal system of Northern Ireland. For many years it has been a go-to source for students and practitioners of law, yet is also accessible to readers with no prior legal knowledge.The book begins by explaining how Northern Ireland became a separate legal jurisdiction, what its current constitutional arrangements are, how its legislation is made and what kind of courts and judges it has. It then looks at when international law is of importance in Northern Ireland, explaining the role of documents such as the Windsor Framework and the European Convention on Human Rights.There follow chapters on laws applying to public bodies, on institutions involved in criminal justice and on rules governing criminal trials. A chapter on ‘private law’ summarises numerous important fields such as consumer law, employment law, succession law and family law. The book concludes with explanations of how civil cases are processed through Northern Ireland’s courts and of the role of lawyers and legal aid schemes.The appendices set out sample sources of law for illustrative purposes.This new edition, now co-authored, has been thoroughly updated with a view to making it even more informative and relevant to readers’ needs. It is a ‘must have’ for anyone wanting to come to grips with the detailed features of a jurisdiction which has long been the subject of political contention and which is constantly developing.