An editor gladly and gratefully incurs many debts. Many of the chapters in this book have grown (almost beyond recognition) from public discussions held in the Temple Church. The discussions were organised jointly by Ian Edge, Barrister and Director of the Centre for Islamic and Middle East Law at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, and by myself. The series was part of the Festival mounted by Inner and Middle Temple to celebrate the four hundredth anniversary of the Letters Patent from James I which entrusted the Temple Church to the Inns’ care. It is above all the Inns themselves, their setting and their sustained encouragement that have made possible this whole project from its inception, the lecture by the Archbishop of Canterbury shown in the frontispiece.

The series was generously supported by CIM Investment Management, The JC Baker Trust, The Yves Guihannec Foundation, The Worshipful Company of Mercers and The Golden Bottle Trust.

Further chapters for this book were commissioned from academic and practising lawyers whose work has added greatly to the breadth, depth and value of the whole.