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That this book is now in its third edition speaks eloquently of its success. The passing of the Food Safety Act 1990 alone was justification enough for a new edition. The primary intended use of the volume is as a 'source of information for students' (p.ix). However, one of the primary aims is 'to provide the working manager with a volume which is a useful and practical point of reference' (p.ix). How well the primary use and one of the primary aims can be met in one volume will be discussed at the end of this review.
There is an introduction to the English legal system. It goes into detail sufficient to explain the canons of statutory interpretation. The explanation of ratio decidendi is oversimplified from a lawyer's point of view, but none the less is useful in allowing a layman to understand why a lawyer may not be able to give that plain statement of what the law is on demand. One excellent feature of this section is the very detailed treatment of the European Community legal system. The treatment of 'regulation' could better have distinguished between the regulation's undoubted direct applicability and its direct effect. The landmark decisions of the European Court of Justice in Andrea Francovich v. Italian Republic; Danila Bonifaci & Others v....