On Legislative Expression, Or, The Language of Written Law. 1st ed

London: William Benning and Co., First edition. Scarce First Edition of a Landmark Treatise on Legislative Drafting Coode, George [1807-1869]. On Legislative Expression: Or, The Language of the Written Law. London: William Benning and Co., 43, Fleet-Street; James Ridgway, 169, Piccadilly, 1845. 69, [1] pp. Octavo (8" x 5-1/2"; 20.32 x 13.97). Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet. Slightly cocked, small chip, two tiny stains and library stamp (Birmingham Law Society) to title page. A very good copy. $750. * First edition. Coode, a barrister of the Inner Temple, was a master of legal writing who believed legal language should be written, as much as possible, in plain English. His landmark treatise on legislative drafting argues for clarity, precision, and the use of plain English in legal writing. It had a modest origin--as an appendix to an 1843 Report of the Poor Law Commissioners--but it went on to have a long life as an independent work, beginning with a second London edition in 1852. Coode was a master of legal writing who championed the idea that laws should be written in language that is as simple and clear as possible, avoiding unnecessary jargon or complex Latin phrases. He formulated basic principles for the structure of legislative sentences, suggesting a clear composition that defines the legal subject, the conditions, and the legal action. He also pioneered the concept that the law should be regarded as "constantly speaking," advocating for the use of the present tense to cover future events and avoid torturously drafted clauses full of future perfect tenses. The book provides examples of poorly written laws to illustrate how they can lead to confusion and misunderstanding. It remains an essential historical resource for legal scholars, lawmakers, and anyone interested in the evolution and improvement of legal writing and the interpretation of legal documents The first American edition of this work was reprinted in 1848 in Philadelphia by T. & J.W. Johnson, both as an independent title and as one of the titles in Volume 60 of Johnson's reprint series The Law Library. The first edition was reissued again as an appendix to Brightly's editions of Purdon's Digest of the Laws of Pennsylvania (1873, 1894, 1895). A Canadian reissue of the second edition was published in 1947, which was followed in 1976 by a revised edition by Elmer A. Driedger, the final editi. …