These first two volumes arising from a series of high-level seminars held at Oxford in 1993 bring together leading academics, practitioners, and judges to identify current trends in English law and assess how the law will develop in the future, particularly in the areas of restitution and property, general common law, judicial review, and child law.

The 'Frontiers of Liability' is the title of a series of high-level seminars held in All Souls College, Oxford during 1993 and 1994. Drawing together top academics, practitioners and judges, these seminars have sought to identify current trends in English law and have provided a forum for experts to give their assessment of how the law will develop in the future. The papers produced for the first 4 seminars and the comments made by the distinguished rapporteurs are reproduced in this volume. Anyone interested in the future of the law of restitution, the common law, judicial review, and the law relating to children will find these essays essential reading. Contributors: Charles Harpum, Sir Leonard Hoffman, Peter Birks, William Swadling, Sir Peter Millett, John Birds, W. R. Cornish, Sir Patrick Neill, Martin Loughlin, D. J. Galligan, Peter Cane, Andrew Bainham, Sheriff David Kelbie, J. M. Thomson, Stephen Cretney

This book explores how the design, construction, and use of robotics technology may affect today’s legal systems and, more particularly, matters of responsibility and agency in criminal law, contractual obligations, and torts. By distinguishing between the behaviour of robots as tools of human interaction, and robots as proper agents in the legal arena, jurists will have to address a new generation of “hard cases.” General disagreement may concern immunity in criminal law (e.g., the employment of robot soldiers in battle), personal accountability for certain robots in contracts (e.g., robo-traders), much as clauses of strict liability and negligence-based responsibility in extra-contractual obligations (e.g., service robots in tort law). Since robots are here to stay, the aim of the law should be to wisely govern our mutual relationships.

The most exciting development in legal thinking since World War II has been the growth of interdisciplinary legal studies. Judge Richard Posner has been a leader in this movement, and his new book explores its rapidly expanding frontier.

Damages for Psychiatric Injuries offers a critique of liability for psychiatric injury in Australia and England. Author Des Butler examines current day understandings of psychiatric medicine, evaluates the legitimacy of past and current approaches to limiting liability, and examines the policy considerations which promote such limits. Butler also analyses the recommendations of the 2002 Ipp Panel's Review of Negligence in Australia and resulting legislation. Succinct and readable, the book sets out a preferred approach to dealing with claims for psychiatric injuries, which recognises the scientific advances of recent times and reflects good legal reasoning.