The Online Library of Liberty

A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.

• Pubusher's Note
• Foreword
• Preface to the First Edition
• Preface to the Eighth Edition
• Introduction
• Outline of Subject: the True Nature of Constitutional Law
• Part I: The Sovereignty of Parliament
• Chapter I: The Nature of Parliamentary Sovereignty
• Chapter II: Parliament and Non-sovereign Law-making Bodies
• Chapter III: Parliamentary Sovereignty and Federalism
• Part II: The Rule of Law
• Chapter IV: The Rule of Law: Its Nature and General Applications
• Chapter V: The Right to Personal Freedom
• Chapter VI: The Right to Freedom of Discussion
• Chapter VII: The Right of Public Meeting 1
• Chapter VIII: Martial Law
• Chapter IX: The Army 1
• Chapter X: The Revenue 1
• Chapter XI: The Responsibility of Ministers
• Chapter XII: Rule of Law Compared With Droit Administratif 1
• Chapter XIII: Relation Between Parliamentary Sovereignty and the Rule of Law
• Part III: The Connection Between the Law of the Constitution and the Conventions of the Constitution
• Chapter XIV: Nature of Conventions of Constitution
• Chapter XV: The Sanction By Which the Conventions of the Constitution Are Enforced
• Appendix
• Note I: Rigidity of French Constitutions
• Note II: Division of Powers In Federal States
• Note III: Distinction Between a Paruamentary Executive and a Non-parliamentary Executive
• Note IV: The Right of Self-defence
• Note V: Questions Connected With the Right of Public Meeting
• Note VI: Duty of Soldiers Called Upon to Disperse an Unlawful Assembly
• Note VII: The Meaning of an “unconstitutional” Law
• Note VIII: Swiss Federalism 89
• Note IX: Australian Federalism 101
• Note X: Martial Law In England During Time of War Or Insurrection 121
• Note XI: Constitution of the Tribunal Des Conflits 159
• Note XII: Proceedings Against the Crown
• Note XIII: Parliament Act, 1911 [i & 2 Geo. 5. Ch. Ch. 13.]

A.V. DICEY

PUBUSHER's NOTE

AV Dicey's Introduction to the Study of the Law of the Constitution was first published in 1885 in London by Macmillan and Co. New editions were issued by the same publisher in 1886, 1889,1893,1897, 1902, and 1908. In each of these editions, Dicey attempted to reflect such constitutional changes as he believed had occurred since the previous edition.

When he prepared an eighth edition in 1914 (the eighth edition was published in 1915, but Dicey dated his preface in 1914), Dicey left the text as it had been in the seventh edition of 1908 but added a long introduction in which he discussed both actual changes in the British Constitution and various changes that were then under discussion.

In 1939, a ninth edition was prepared under the editorship of E. C. S. Wade. In this edition, a long introduction by Wade was substituted for Dicey's introduction to the eighth edition, and Dicey's appendix was omitted in favor of one by Wade. This edition was reprinted several times.

This Liberty Classics edition is based on the eighth edition, published in 1915, since this was the last edition that Dicey himself prepared.