This introductory text has been specifically written for those coming new to the study of law, it offers a concise introduction to all the major aspects of the English legal system. Topics covered in the book include: the purposes and functions of law; the law-making process; the institutional framework and the role of government in shaping the system; and the delivery and funding of legal services. In addition, by offering an analysis of the issues which currently face the English legal system, the book provides the reader with the basis for thinking critically about how the legal system has developed and how it may be shaped in the years to come. Beginning with an examination of the purposes and functions of law and of the law-making process, Professor Partington goes on to give an overview of the institutional framework of the English legal system, looking at the role of government in the shaping of this framework and at each of the main areas of the legal system in turn, including chapters on the criminal, administrative, family, and civil and commercial justice systems. This book is intended for all those considering the study of law for the first time, first year law students beginning their courses, and postgraduates without previous legal training doing the CPE law conversion course to become solicitors.