The Oxford International Encyclopedia of Legal History is a comprehensive, international, interdisciplinary reference work that includes approximately 1,000 articles on all aspects of legal history throughout the world from ancient to modern times. Articles deal with private law, public law, and constitutional/higher law throughout the world and are written and signed by one of the many noteworthy contributors, which include major scholars and experts. For years, scholars have been investigating the remote origins of their respective national and religious law. Only recently has there been a developing interest in and study of the history of law in modern times. This encyclopedia will bring together the study of ancient law with the study of modern law-examining statutes and administrative rulings as well as judicial decisions, legislatures, agencies, and courts. The Encyclopedia will cover ancient, medieval, early modern, and modern law in eight legal traditions and geographical/cultural areas: Ancient Greek Law, Ancient Roman Law, Chinese Law, English Common Law, Islamic Law, Medieval Roman Law, United States Law, and law in other regions (Africa, Latin America, and South Asia among them). It will address major categories of law within these traditions, including private law (contract, tort, civil procedure), varieties of public law (criminal law, administrative law, statutory law), and higher law/ constitutional law. It will be the first encyclopedia of law to provide historical and contemporary comparisons of world legal systems. - Publisher.

This comprehensive Encyclopedia is an indispensable resource in the area of law and development. Bringing together more than 80 entries, the Encyclopedia spans a variety of approaches, contextualised histories, recent developments and forward-looking insights into the role of law in development. It is an invaluable reference point for scholars seeking to engage with issues at the intersection of law and development from both within and outside of the legal field, as well as a thorough but succinct overview for post-graduate students.

Provides more than seven hundred alphabetical entries covering the interaction of law and society around the globe, including the sociology of law, law and economics, law and political science, psychology and law, and criminology.