01 July 2015

BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT: Thomson on The Nobile Officium: The Extraordinary Equitable Jurisdiction of the Supreme Courts of Scotland

Stephen Thomson,
The Nobile Officium:  The Extraordinary Equitable Jurisdiction of the Supreme Courts of Scotland

An ambitious new text has just been published on the nobile officium – the extraordinary equitable jurisdiction of the Supreme Courts of Scotland.  The author, Stephen Thomson, spoke about this unusual jurisdiction at the conference “Filling the Gaps:  The Study of Judicial Creativity and Equity in Mixed Jurisdictions and Beyond” at the University of Catania in May 2013, co-organised by the World Society of Mixed Jurisdiction Jurists.


The nobile officium enables the Supreme Courts of Scotland to (i) supply a legal norm where an existing norm is deficient, unavailable or absent, or (ii) provide alleviation where the application of an existing norm would be unduly excessive, oppressive or burdensome.  The jurisdiction has found application across broad areas of civil and criminal jurisdiction, and continues to form an important aspect of procedural law.

Dr. Thomson has brought his research forward to the point of publication and produced the first ever text to systematically examine the nobile officium.  Of potential interest to Juris Diversitas readers, this text provides a unique national case study in equitable jurisdiction (and moreover in a mixed jurisdiction).  Dr. Thomson launched the book with a lecture to distinguished practitioners, scholars and invited guests at the Faculty of Advocates and Supreme Courts of Scotland, Parliament House, Edinburgh.  The text has been well received, carrying a foreword by Lord Hope of Craighead KT, former Deputy President of the UK Supreme Court.

COVER TEXT

The nobile officium of the Court of Session and the High Court of Justiciary is a long-established but elusive power. The extraordinary equitable jurisdiction of the Supreme Courts of Scotland continues to be relevant and useful today but its scope and limitations are poorly understood. This is the first book to systematically examine the nobile officium. Placing it in its historical and conceptual context, the book explores the development and application of the nobile officium in such diverse areas as:
ñ  Trusts
ñ  Judicial factors, curators, tutors and guardians
ñ  Bankruptcy, insolvency and sequestration
ñ  Custody of children
ñ  Public officers
ñ  Statutory omissions
ñ  Civil procedure
ñ  Criminal law and procedure
This ambitious text provides original and informative commentary and analysis for practitioners, teachers and students of Scots law.
“A work of real scholarship which makes a significant contribution to the literature on Scots law.” Lord Hope of Craighead

THE AUTHOR

Stephen Thomson is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Law, The Chinese University of Hong Kong.  He holds a Ph.D. in constitutional and administrative law from the University of Edinburgh.

BOOK DETAILS

Avizandum Publishing
May 2015
300 pages
ISBN 9781904968337
£48.00


The book is available for purchase here and at a number of other outlets.

30 June 2015

CALL FOR APPLICATIONs: Editorship of Legal Studies

The Society of Legal Scholars invites applications from members for the editorship of its prestigious journal Legal Studies.
The Society is looking for an editorial team or individual editor who can build on the success
of both the present and past editors. The editors are ex officio members of the Society’s Council and Executive Committee and are appointed for five years.
The current editors, Professors Imelda Maher, Blanaid Clarke, Fiona de Londras and Colin Scott have indicated their wish to stand down by September 2016, allowing a handover period to ensure a smooth transition so the new editor or editorial team can take responsibility for the first issue of 2017.
The journal is in a healthy position: competition for space in the journal is intense, with a large number of high quality submissions, and it has one of the biggest print-runs of UK academic law journals.  The Society is also well served by its current publishers, Wiley-Blackwell. It now has an International Advisory Board and submissions and reviews are managed via ‘ScholarOne’.
Individuals, pairs or teams of individuals who wish to be considered for the editorship of Legal Studies should submit applications which include the following:
(1) A “mission statement” setting out the following:
(a) the proposed editorial policy for the journal;
(b) any proposed changes to the journal’s format;
(c) a brief description of how the administration of the journal would be dealt with and, where there would be a team editorial board, how the responsibilities would be divided.
Statements should be limited to 2,000 words.
(2) A summary CV (max 2 sides of A4) for each individual who is proposed to have an editorial role, which should provide details of previous editorial experience.
(3) The name, address and full contact details of either the individual applicant or a nominated individual contact where two or more individuals are applying together.
Applications should be sent by email to the Honorary Secretary, Professor Richard Taylor (RDTaylor@uclan.ac.uk) to arrive by 31 December 2015. The Society's Executive Committee is expected to appoint a sub-committee to consider applications. That sub-committee may decide to invite shortlisted applicants for interview in February or March 2016.
Professor Imelda Maher would be happy to respond to enquiries to the current Editors.  She can be contacted at imelda.maher@ucd.ie