It may rightly be considered a sign of great success when a book reaches its 13th edition. Such is undoubtedly the case for both Dicey and Morris’ and Cheshire and North’s latest editions of The Conflict of Laws 1 and Private International Law 2 respectively. The field of private international law has gone through significant changes during the seven or eight years since the publication of the 12th editions of these books. Certain fundamental areas, such as the tort choice law rule and arbitration have been overhauled by statute. At the same time, there has been an increasing focus on areas such as jurisdiction, the recognition of foreign judgments and restitution. As would be expected, the latest editions of these books have addressed these developments, while also maintaining the particular focus to which each text is directed. Unfortunately, both editions were published before The Civil Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2000,3 which have replaced R.S.C., Ord. 11 and cover service out of the jurisdiction pursuant to the traditional rules.

Few texts can be said to hold such a central and eminent position in their particular subject area as does Dicey & Morris . Lord Goff of Chieveley described this work as “the prince of legal texts”.4 It is a two-volume work that carries the heavy burden of being the definitive text on the conflict of laws. Its thorough detail better suits the practitioner or the researcher who requires maximum focus rather than the explanatory overview that a student might require. The editorial team consists of some of the leading names in the English conflict of laws. The 13th edition has had Adrian Briggs5 and Professor Hill6 added as editors. The book largely maintains its traditional style of stating a particular rule, at the commencement of a section, followed by a detailed commentary.

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