LawScape’s First Year

LawScape was first published precisely one year ago today. It set out with the shortly stated, but difficult to achieve, aim of digesting law and legal news in an accessible way.

The law is often complex and difficult. Legal reporting is frequently inaccurate or insufficiently precise. Moreover there are boundless misconceptions about what the law is and what it ought to be. LawScape set out quite simply to make the law understandable to those who have no legal background. In attempting to do so, it has covered the major criminal trials of the year, such as the Philpott trial; significant human rights decisions, such as the one on whole life sentences; and even philosophical issues related to the law, such as whether rape is always (equally) serious. It has also seen the start of a series of articles on the English Legal System generally, aimed at those with no experience of the law. I hope that LawScape has contributed in some small measure to your understanding of the law. If it has, it is succeeding in its aim. If it has not, then, as always, I welcome your comments and suggestions.

I confess myself surprised and humbled by the scale and diversity of readers this year. LawScape has had significant worldwide readership. This should not really be a surprise since the English legal system is the world’s leading legal system. Other countries rightly look to the example we set.

This coming year will see LawScape continue to digest law in an accessible way. Until then, I wish you all a happy and healthy new year.

Best wishes,

Daniel Setter