This collection of essays by leading commentators on civil justice is an attempt to assess the present state of civil procedure in the UK and the possible impact of proposals recently put forward by Lord Woolf. In addition, the essays deal with the fundamental problems that are encountered today in the administration of civil justice everywhere. The contributors are distinguished practitioners and academics who have made extensive contributions to the subject in the past.

This book looks at the civil justice system - the courts and what they do; legal aid and other methods of providing access to justice; lawyers and their conduct; and the role of legal procedure. It also looks at the impact the civil justice system has on wider society, and its relationship with economics and commercial development. The book is largely focussed on Britain, but includes material from the USA, the Indian sub-continent, south-east Asia, and Aboriginal society in Australia.