Essential EC Law in Charts

Visualising law, as we have attempted to do in this book, provides a very different perspective. It gives an idea of what the blueprint of the edifice of Community law would look like. Not unlike architecture, the basic concepts seem misleadingly simple but the challenge lies in establishing the connections between the concepts. That is what this book seeks to achieve.

At the same time - like ‘real’ blueprints - any picture of the law is an abstract simplification, and is no substitute for conventional methods of study. Just like an architect who needs to know his or her building materials and to use them properly, a lawyer needs to know the law, and needs to know how to interpret and apply general rules and principles to a specific case.

The idea behind this book is for students, in-house lawyers, and practitioners to benefit from a comprehensive set of charts illustrating the ‘core’ of EC law in addition to the existing legal literature. This concept was developed through the combined professional experience of the authors, in academia and in legal practice. The charts contained in this book serve several different, though largely overlapping purposes.

Firstly, the charts are intended as a learning tool. Most people tend to understand (and memorise) more easily complex or abstract concepts if presented with some form of visual aid. For students taking courses in EC law for the first time, charts are an excellent way of getting a broad overview of the various topics before going into the detail of the relevant case law and secondary legislation, thus making learning more effective. For those who have previously studied EC law, perhaps as part of the typical curriculum of a law degree, and are in need of a refresher course, a concise and systematic overview of the current state of EC law condensed into chart form mapping out developments and changes in the law will prove a very useful and handy resource, a ‘vade mecum’ perhaps.

Secondly, these charts can be applied as a presentation tool. Whether lecturing EC law in a university, explaining an issue of EC law to a client, or making a presentation before the board of directors of a company, visual tools can be extremely useful, and especially so in the (often complex) field of EC law.

The overall structure of this book is designed to guide the (uninitiated) reader towards a specific legal issue through ‘topic charts’ and ‘decision trees’. In this way, the core of the vast body of primary EC law, secondary EC law, and case law of the European Court of Justice and the Court of First Instance becomes accessible in a quick and practical way. For academics and practitioners who possess specialised knowledge of EC law, the decision trees provide a comprehensive checklist.

• Publisher: HVG-ORAC Publishing House Ltd
• Author: Christa Tobler, Jacques Beglinger
• Language: English

Price: 28.00 €

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