Legislation: Statutory Interpretation: 20 Questions (Turning Point (Foundation Press)) [Paperback]

Kent Greenawalt (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1566627842 | ISBN-13: 978-1566627849 | Publication Date: February 2008

The publication is an overview of the field of statutory interpretation.

Product Details

• Paperback: 316 pages
• Publisher: Foundation Press (February 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1566627842
• ISBN-13: 978-1566627849
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 4.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #616,859 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Primer introducing institutional decisionmaking, December 19, 2001

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This review is from: Legislation: Statutory Interpretation: 20 Questions (Turning Point (Foundation Press)) (Paperback)

Greenawalt presents a very readable text that I recommend especially as a pre-law school read; offering breadth rather than depth covering the new legal process school superficially. Gives a good broad general forest view of the problems inherent in statutory interpretation, as seen in the current revival of textualism by Justice Scalia. Also discusses various notions of judicial restraint, the legislative process, sources of legislative history, the range of techniques of interpretation like Imaginative Reconstruction as espoused by Posner, Public Choice theory (Arrow's Theorem, manipulation of legislative history by both judges and legislature), democratic concepts of bicameralism clashing against authority usurping, use of textual and substantive canons, judicial deference to agency interpretation among other topics discussed.
I'd highly suggest further reading. The best thing about this book is it's short, concise view (it's a cutely-sized little book). It's easy to follow from no background knowledge. Upon finishing it, I'd recommend proceeding onto "Legislation and Statutory Interpretation" by Eskridge and Frickey and Garrett (Eskridge and Frickey are the authors of practical reasoning interpretation, dynamic statutory interpretation thru their conceptualized 'funnel of abstraction' of hierarchy of authority from concrete to most abstract along a funnel of web of beliefs).