Combining provocative readings with insightful original discussions, this text introduces students to essential concepts and issues within the philosophy of law. Covering the major stages and philosophies of the common law tradition, while also exploring more contemporary developments in jurisprudence, Legal Theories offers a theoretical and practical treatment of philosophical principles of law.

Paul Groarke's profile page

Paul Groarke is a professor in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at St Thomas University. He received a law degree from the University of Calgary, a Master's degree in English literature from Dalhousie, and a PhD in philosophy from the University of Waterloo. He has published a scholarly monograph called Dividing the State with Ashgate in 2004.

Groarke has been a member of the bar for nearly thirty years and has 15 years of experience in general litigation, the criminal courts, and human rights. He was a member of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (a cabinet appointment) for eleven years, and a full-time member of the Tribunal in Ottawa for four years.

"A major strength is the cultural setting that plausibly gives even more scope to Canadian doctrine, statutes, and cases than to those from the US and the UK." --Christopher Gray, Concordia University

"The selections are broad, including ones I have not seen in other texts. . . . In particular, the use of Canadian court cases and the chapter on tribal law are strengths." --Kira Tomsons, Dalhousie University