The Principles of the Law of Restitution

Thesecondeditionofthistextbooklaysoutthekeyprincipleswhichunderliethatbodyoflawknownasthelawofrestitution.ThissubjectwasrecognisedbytheHouseofLordsasadiscretebodyoflawfifteenyearsago-althoughrestitutionaryprincipleshave,infact,beenevolvingforover200years.SincetherecognitionofthesubjectbytheHouseofLordsthesubjecthasdevelopeddramatically,andevenmorerapidlysincethepublicationofthefirsteditionofthistextin1999.Thelawofrestitutionisconcernedwiththequestionsofwhenrestitutionaryremediesmaybeawarded.Theseareremedieswhichoperatetodeprivedefendantsofgainsratherthantocompensateclaimantsforlosses.Thetraditionalapproachtothesubjectassumesthatrestitutionaryremediesareonlyavailabletoreverseunjustenrichment.Inthisbooktheauthorassertsthatrestitutionaryremediesaretriggeredbythreedifferenttypesofaction:Thereversalofthedefendant'sunjustenrichmentThecommissionofawrongbythedefendantThevindicationoftheclaimant'spropertyrightsSincethepublicationofthefirsteditionofthisbookthismodelhasincreasinglybeenrecognisedbythecourts.Inthisbookthelawisexaminedthroughanalysesofkeycasesandrelevantstatutoryprovisions,demonstratingthewayinwhichthelawinusedtosolveawidevarietyoflegalproblems.Theverydifferentviewsofacademicsonthenatureandambitofthesubjectarealsocarefullyconsidered.Theresultwillbeinvaluabletostudentsonrestitutioncoursesateverylevel,practitionersandthoseengagedinresearchonthesubject.