Publication of the week: Judith Bray

5 March 2012

Bray, J., A Student’s Guide to Equity and Trusts (1^st ed., Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012) 376 pp. ISBN: 978-0-521-15299-0.

A Student’s Guide to Equity and Trustsis a new approach to the study of trusts. It highlights the way that equity and trusts relate to people’s lives and tries to change the popular perception that the study of trusts is remote and detached from everyday life.

Judith Bray describes equity and trusts as one of the most opaque and impenetrable subjects studied by law students. Students are often intimidated by the ‘fog of Chancery’ described by Dickens in his introduction to Bleak House. In writing A Student’s Guide to Equity and Trusts Judith Bray tries to lift the fog of Chancery by explaining the principles of trusts in simple terms and then relating those principles to practical situations.

This is a new book which uses detailed practical examples throughout the text to illustrate key principles. Each chapter includes the key facts of the topic and a summary at the end focusing on the important points of the chapter. The chapters are short and clearly written and lay the foundations for further study.

Pamela Hargreaves, Principal Lecturer at Leicester de Montfort Law School comments: “This is an excellent book whose major strength is the wealth of practical examples which enable the student to explore the complexities of the law with confidence.”

Judith Bray is a Reader in Law at The University of Buckingham and she is also Deputy Senior Tutor. She teaches Land Law, Trusts and Family Law and she is author of Unlocking Land Law, now in its 3^rd edition, Key Cases Equity and Trusts, and other titles published by Hodder Education. She is currently engaged in research into the status of Crown land and the reform of the law on Treasure.