Prior to the start of the twenty-first century, laws were made for Wales by the Parliament at Westminster. Devolution, and the creation of the National Assembly, has given Wales another legislature that does not replace the UK Parliament but shares in its law-making activity regarding certain subjects. This book considers how legislation is made for Wales; its primary focus is law-making by the National Assembly and the Welsh Government, but the role of Westminster and Whitehall is also ob...

Watkin provides a history of the various legal systems by which Wales and its people have been governed over the last two millenia, including the civil law of Rome, the laws of the native Welsh people, the canon law of the Church and the English common law. This book shows how in each age the people of Wales have adapted to and adopted the legal traditions which they have encountered and assesses the importance of this inheritance for the future of modern Wales within both Europe and the w...

Historical influences forging the rich tapestry of Portuguese cultureFor much of its formative period, the lands which now form Portugal were occupied by foreign forces. Although occupiers always formed a small percentage of the population, each made a lasting impact on law, administration, arts, culture and knowledge. Each foreign influence continued over many centuries, leaving a profound impact: the Phoenicians/Carthaginians for over 1000 years, the Romans for n...

From an early age, the author has been fascinated by the origins of humanity and the solutions offered by religious beliefs concerning our existence beyond death. Understanding the Bible is critical for Christians, whilst incorporation (as the Old Testament) of the Jewish Torah, the Prophets and the Writings brings a common root with Judaism and also many commonalities with Islam. This book should be fascinating to all 'Peoples of the Book', addressing many questions that arise in the mind...

Evidence of an ancient human civilization that flowered between 18,000 and 12,000 years ago. Traces left by this culture point to technology that in some disciplines was not that far behind us. Evidence points to remarkable skills in medicine, precision stone working & finishing, large scale logistics and large scale project management. Achievements also seem to include manned flight and artificial light.

First published in 1997, this volume provides the reader from a common law background with an introduction to the Legal System and basic private law institutions of contemporary Italy. It aims to afford a basic understanding, rather than a detailed presentation, of Italian law, through an appreciation of its historical development within the civil law tradition and its place in that family of legal systems descended from Roman law. Having described Italy’s place in European legal history a...

The civil law systems of continental Europe, Latin America and other parts of the world, including Japan, share a common legal heritage derived from Roman law. However, it is an inheritance which has been modified and adapted over the centuries as a result of contact with Germanic legal concepts, the work of jurists in the mediaeval universities, the growth of the canon law of the western Church, the humanist scholarship of the Renaissance and the rationalism of the natural lawyers of the ...

The advent of printing in the 15th Century allowed common usage of the Bible, establishing its authority as the sole record of ancient history without competition from other sources for over 4 centuries. It was only in the 19th Century that we rediscovered how to understand ancient cuneiform and hieroglyphic texts from the Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilisations. Gradually, translations of ancient original texts dating back up to 5000 years, far earlier than any fragments of the Old Testam...

Christianity is built upon our understanding of Jesus role and teaching. This book seeks to prise away the many barnacles that have encrusted Christian beliefs so that the purity and simplicity of Jesus message can be appreciated.Many aspects of Christian belief have been invented - some for marketing purposes others for political ambitions. The virgin birth, the nativity story and the detailed genealogies of Jesus are clearly fabricated. Evidence points to a special sign concernin...

This book brings together an international group of authors to discuss the outdoor environmental education (OEE) theory and practice that educators can use to support teaching and learning in higher education. The book contents are organised around a recently established list of threshold concepts that can be used to describe the knowledge and skills that university students would develop if they complete a major in outdoor education.There are six key sections: the theoretical foun...

Does the church teach Jesus message accurately? If not, how can we find what Jesus originally taught? Tough questions, to which careful research provides revealing answers.Many know of terrible excesses committed by the Church using quasi military forces to carry out numerous purges over many centuries. Estimates of those professing to be Christian, tortured to death, burned at the stake or literally torn to pieces range from 30,000 to 300,000 under the Spanish Inquisition alone. E...

The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Australia examines the body of constitutional jurisprudence in an original and rigorous yet accessible way. It begins by exploring the historical and intellectual context of ideas surrounding the Constitution's inception, and closely examines its text, structure, principles and purposes in that light. The book then unpacks and critically analyses the High Court's interpretation of the Constitution in a manner that follows the Constitution's own logic...