This is a contemporary introduction to comparative law, tracing its history, aims and functions and increasing relevance in a rapidly changing world. Topics covered include the origins of civil law and common law traditions, non-Western legal systems and the implications of the EC law as a supranational legal system. It also sharts the decline of the socialist legal tradition in Eastern Europe, the unification of Germany, and the emergence of the new Russian Federation. A comparative study of statutory interpretations and approches to case law is included.