Business Law – The Student Law Journal

**Business Law** *by James Marson and Katy Ferris*
**Publisher:** Oxford University Press
**Edition:** *6th Edition (May 2020)*
**ISBN:** *978-0-19884995-7*
**Price:** *£36.99*
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This sixth edition of Business Law has been thoroughly updated to include the latest developments since the last edition. These include a number of important cases (both domestic and from the European Union), the latest legislation (including the Employment Rights Act 1996 (Itemised Pay Statement) (Amendment) Order 2018 and the Employment Rights (Employment Particulars and Paid Annual Leave) (Amendment) Regulations 2018) and newly written text on the General Data Protection Regulation and Data Protection Act 2018. All of these changes have been seamlessly incorporated without impacting the balance of the text.

Business Law is split into seven parts: introduction; the English Legal System; contractual obligations; tortious liability; company law; agency law; employment; and intellectual property and data protection. Each part (except for the introduction, agency law and intellectual property and data protection) includes a number of chapters. For example, the part on contractual obligations includes chapters on: establishing an agreement: offer and acceptance; terms of a contract; statutory regulation of contracts; and ending the contract. The part on the English Legal System includes chapters on: creating, finding, and applying the law; and dispute resolution for businesses. There are therefore very few areas of day to day business life which are not covered by Business Law.

The aim of Business Law is simple: to help the reader understand the law of a business and the legal principles surrounding its operation. This is an ambitious aim. This is because one of the difficulties of any business law course is a student is being taught the basic principles of business law; not an in-depth study of all of the area of the law covered by the module. It is therefore inherent in any textbook designed for business law students that the text’s approach will be understandably higher level. This is not, however, a criticism of Business Law: this text admirably provides a clear summary and explanation of the legal principles.

But what this approach does mean is that Business Law is an important text for both students studying business law and anyone involved in running a business from directors to senior managers. If you have the broad understanding of the law which Business Law covers, a business is more likely to operate compliantly and less likely to need to engage a lawyer in a distressed position. The Online Resource Centre also provides some excellent additional material including flashcards for cases, self-test questions, indicative answers and additional material. At £36.99 at the time of this review, Business Law is also well-priced.

Reviewed on 5 April 2021

**Business Law** by *David Kelly, Ruby Hammer & John Hendy*
**Publisher:** Routledge
**Edition:** 2nd Edition (April 2014)
**ISBN:** 978-0-415-72306-0
**Price:** *£35.99*

While it is primarily designed for undergraduate students on business courses, Business Law aims to offer a comprehensive coverage of all of the key aspects of business law in a straight-forward manner which is easy to understand for business students. This is, of course, an ambitious aim given the vast areas of law which many businesses deal with on a day to day basis. However, and to a large extent (subject to some of the errors discussed later), it broadly achieves that aim. What Business Law also demonstrates is just how important a working knowledge of the law is for anyone in business: if you do not know the basics, you can often be exposed to significant business risks.

Written by a team of experienced law teachers, with particular expertise in a business law environment, Business Law is split into five parts: law, legal sources and dispute resolution; business transactions; business liability; business organisation; and employment law and health and safety. This is expanded from the first edition and shows the increased focus on issues like health and safety law (which pose important civil and criminal risks). Each part is split into a number of chapters. For example, the part on business organisations has chapters on: agency; partnership law; and company law. The part on business transactions has chapters on: contract; and sale of goods and supply of services. It is, however, somewhat surprising that there is still no coverage of intellectual property or advertising law.

Because Business Law is aimed at law and business students, and covers so many different areas of law, it does not attempt to cover the topics in significant detail. Instead, it largely provides a clear and concise consideration of the various areas of law. It is, however, disappointing that there continues to be some key errors and omissions. For example, when consider the (now repealed) Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000, the authors suggests there is no right to cancel a distance contract where the goods have been used. Firstly, this is wrong and contrary to former OFT Guidance. Secondly, these regulations were replaced on 13 June 2014 by the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 (which are not mentioned at all; despite those regulations being made on 11 December 2013). There is also reference to the Consumer Transactions (Restrictions on Statements) Order 1976 creating a criminal offence. This is also wrong; it was repealed on 26 May 2008.

This second edition of Business Law will be a good companion for anyone studying law as part of a business course (particularly those at undergraduate level). It comes with a very useful companion website (available from: http://cw.routledge.com/textbooks/kelly-9780415559737/). By the time of this review, there are a number of resources including multiple choice questions, cases studies and weblinks. The errors did, however, undermine my confidence somewhat in the rest of the text (and particularly because one of the errors was raised in our review of the first edition). It is therefore a useful companion but should be used with some caution. If, however, these errors are resolved for future editions, there is no doubt that Business Law will continue to be an important text for business students for years to come. When combined with the companion website, it is also well priced.

Reviewed on 28 March 2015