International Law
International Law
International Law
Review
Reviewed Work(s): The Tort of Conversion by Sarah Green and John Randall
Review by: John Murphy
Source: The Cambridge Law Journal, Vol. 69, No. 2 (July 2010), pp. 415-417
Published by: Cambridge University Press on behalf of Editorial Committee of the
Cambridge Law Journal
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C.L.J. Book Reviews 415
Bogdanor's background as a p
brings into the interplay of po
context within which the con
conclusions are bold and althou
the context of the HRA and
this is a compelling book on
parliamentary sovereignty is "
constitution" (p. 23), and has
powers as the new pillar of the
Reform Act 2005, and a rev
the HRA 1998. Bogdanor arg
Parliament has been limited,
strengthened" (p. 284). The r
constitutional changes has mea
propriately called an elective d
needs of Britain in the 21st cen
Yvonne Tew
Monographs about tort law seem never to have been in short supply.
Occasionally, authors produce theoretical books that deal with the subject as a
whole. Yet much more common are those that examine some particular aspect
or area of tort law, such as negligence, nuisance, product liability, defamation,
or the economic torts. Until recently, one such book has been conspicuous by
its absence; but Sarah Green and John Randall have now plugged that gap by
rising to arguably the most unenviable challenge in tort law scholarship and
writing The Tort of Conversion.
Their opening claim, that such a book is "long overdue" (p. 1) would
scarcely be doubted by academics or practitioners. But can just one book meet
the needs of both? After all, most practitioners are likely to want a reliable,
comprehensive, expository guide to the law (with occasional critique of con-
troversial or errant judgments) while academics interested in conversion are
more likely to be drawn to the fascinating peculiarities of the this tort's evol-
ution, or its strict liability basis and quasi-proprietary nature (which together
pose interesting questions for much modern tort theory). Happily, Green and
Randall's splendid book caters splendidly for both (even if a widespread under-
graduate readership might be a little too much to hope for given the relative
infrequency with which conversion is taught these days).
For the practitioner there is detailed analysis of all the leading cases (and
many others besides), methodical navigation through the remedies maze
created by the Torts (Interference with Goods Act) 1977, and a clear descrip-
tion of the connections and distinctions between this tort and both the econ-
omic torts (in chapter 6) and the other modern chattel torts (in chapter 3).
There is also a scrupulous exposition of who may possess title to sue together
with an account of the relativity of title in English law (in chapter 4).
Accordingly, no practitioner using this book should now be confused as to
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416 The Cambridge Law Journal [20 1 0]
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C.L.J. Book Reviews 417
John Murphy
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