This book is widely regarded as one of the most remarkable achievements in Roman Law and Comparative Law scholarship this century - a fact attested to by the universal acclaim with which it has been received throughout Europe, America, and beyond. As a work of Roman Law scholarship it fusesthe vast volume of 20th century scholarship on the Roman law of obligations into a clear and very readable (and in many ways original) account of the law. As a work of comparative law it traces the transformation of the Roman law of obligations over the centuries into what is now modern German,English and South African law, presenting the reader with a contrast between these legal systems which is unique both in its scope and its depth. As a whole the book is written with a deep understanding of human nature and of many social, economic, and other forces that determine the face of thelaw.

Politics by Other Means explores the fundamental question of how law can constrain political power by offering a pathbreaking account of the triumphant final decade of the struggle against apartheid. Richard Abel presents case studies of ten major legal campaigns including: challenges to pass laws; black trade union demands for recognition; state terror; censorship; resistance to the "independent" homelands; and treason trials.

The present volume has been planned and prepared in meetings of the Research Committee for the Sociology of Law of the International Sociological Association at the initiative of its chairman, Renato Treves, who also took upon himself editorial responsibility. The first edition of the volume appeared in Italian under the title La socioZogia deZ diritto. ProbZemi e ricerche. It was published in Milano, August I966. The present English edition has the same contents as the Italian volume with the addition of a concluding chapter by J an Glastra van Loon. This publication was undertaken with the purpose of presenting a survey of recent trends in sociology of law in various countries of the world. We hope that the growing interest in the discipline, as evidenced by the large number of publications issued since the Italian edition of this volume, * may be considered as justification for this undertaking. J. v. L. R. T. * We should like to refer to the Law and Society Review published in the United States, to the issue of Acta Sociologica, September 1966, devoted to sociology of law, and finally to the many papers submitted to and discussed at the meetings of the Research Committee for the Sociology of Law during the VIth World Congress of Sociology at Evian. INTRODUCTION by RENATO TREVES I. The sociology 0/ law in its traditional sense and in its more recent developments. Origin and obfects 0/ this work.

Post-1994, South Africa's traditional leaders have fought for recognition, and positioned themselves as major players in the South African political landscape. Yet their role in a democracy is contested, with leaders often accused of abusing power, disregarding human rights, expropriating resources and promoting tribalism. Some argue that democracy and traditional leadership are irredeemably opposed and cannot co-exist. Meanwhile, shifts in the political economy of the former bantustans - the introduction of platinum mining in particular - have attracted new interests and conflicts to these areas, with chiefs often designated as custodians of community interests. This edited volume explores how chieftancy is practised, experienced and contested in contemporary South Africa. It includes case studies of how those living under the authority of chiefs, in a modern democracy, negotiate or resist this authority in their respective areas. Chapters in this book are organised around three major sites of contest: leadership, land and law.

Soviet and East European Law and the Scientific-Technical Revolution discusses the various perceptions and understandings of the scientific technical revolution (STR) and its effect on the legal systems of the USSR and the East European nations. This book is composed 11 chapters and begins with a description of the relationship of the STR and law and how law is used as a means of manipulating the STR and directing its development. The succeeding chapters explore the STR in the realm of ideas or doctrine relating to management theory and jurisprudence. These topics are followed by discussions of the constitutional enactments influenced by the STR and the developments of administrative and labor laws. The remaining chapters highlight the tangible results of efforts to shape the STR. These chapters also look into the development of mechanisms for the transfer of technology between the Soviet Union and the Eastern Europe. This book is intended for historians and the general public who are interested in scientific-technical revolution.