The Due Process of Law

by Baron Alfred Denning

Two central themes run through The Due Process of Law . The first is the workings of the various "measures authorised by the law so as to keep the streams of justice pure"--that is to say, contempt of court, judicial inquiries, and powers of arrest and search. The second is the recent development of family law, focusing particularly on Lord Denning's contribution to the law of husband and wife. These broad themes are elaborated through a discussion of Lord Denning's own judgments and opinions on a wide range of topics.

Genres: Law, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published January 11, 1980

Reviews

[Stephan · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been simply a mind opener to read Lord Denning’s cases of law in this book. Here there is a judge who is fair and compassionate, and unlike many judges who feared to respect equity, Lord Denning is a daring and unconventional judge in all of his cases. His love for humanity is expressed through his views about the people whom he tried and met in the courtroom. His exceptions to the general law may have infuriated the law makers, but he has won the hearts of all those who believe in justice. Statute law can only be broken when it is in conflict with justice, but not all judges follow fairness and equality. Lord Denning defied the fear of statute law and intervened for the weak in English society. In this book he even criticizes and corrects other judges whom sidetracked from the path of justice. If England is proud of John Milton and William Blake in regard to poetry, their equivalent peer would be Lord Denning in regard to justice. What made Lord Denning extraordinary was his passion for justice and compassion towards people. I have no doubt in my mind that King Solomon would have been utterly pleased to preside together with Lord Denning in a court of law. Lord Denning is as rare and unique as the rule of law. No school of law can teach justice, for justice is a matter of a human evolution. Lord Denning in this book proves that the law alone is insufficient, and that without human compassion justice becomes obsolete and subsequently void. In my view this book should be a must read book in all law schools around the world, because it promotes the divine intervention of compassion. Lord Denning is a chivalrous English knight that has saved a damsel in distress. I hope that English society will appreciate Lord Denning in the future the way he appreciated justice in the past.

[Phillip · Rating 5 out of 5]

A discussion of Lord Denning's own judgments and opinions on a wide range of topics. Family Law & Judicial inquiries workings. Highly recommended!

[Gopal Vijayaraghavan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lord Denning’s “The Due Process of Law” is not just another dull law book explaining the rules of practice of courts. The book starts with narration of an interesting incident which happened in 1631 in Salisbury, UK. In a court proceeding a brickbat was thrown at Chief Justice Richardson. The Judge had his head on one side on his hand as the brickbat whizzed past. Straightening himself he said “ If I had been an upright Judge, I should no longer be a Judge”. Throughout the book the author leads us through the practical aspects of common law like contempt of court, arrest and search by law enforcement officials, injunctions for enforcement of contracts(mereva injunction), rights of immigrants and the family law especially relating to deserted wife’s equity. This is all told in a simple English shorn of legal verbiages. The author is candid enough to mention about those of his orders which have been reversed by the House of Lords(One instance is his orders on deserted wife’s equity). This book will show Lord Dennning as a sensitive but pragmatic Judge with a strong grasp of legal fundamentals. This book can be understood even by those who have not got any basic knowledge of the legal concepts.

[Zhu Hong]

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