Ian Snaith

The diversity and complexity of the legal issues that can arise in the course of the activities of a club, society or association present numerous questions for those advising and managing those bodies for which they need guidance. Problems range from the interpretation of rules to anti-discrimination legislation. Legal issues can span alcohol licensing, charities, company law, employment law, expulsion procedures, litigation, meetings, promotion of lotteries, property law and taxation. This is the definitive guide to the legal framework within which clubs, societies and associations operate, bringing together the various strands of law (including new case law and recent legislation) to provide practical legal advice for these bodies, their advisers and officers. The work includes a full set of model rules as well as other useful material in the appendices.

The Principles of European Cooperative Law (PECOL) focus on the 'ideal' legal identity of cooperatives. Drafted by a team of legal scholars, the PECOL aim to describe the common core of European cooperative law. They are based on both existing cooperative law in Europe and the EU regulation on the societas cooperativa europaea. The Principles are accompanied by commentaries which illustrate the rationale and legislative background of each principle, and link them to the key features of cooperative identity. The PECOL are articulated into five chapters corresponding to the main aspects around which a cooperatives identity may be structured, namely the purpose pursued, internal governance, financial structure, external control and cooperation among cooperatives. The second part of the book presents the national reports upon which the PECOL were based. The reports offer a detailed overview of the cooperative law of seven European jurisdictions (Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and the UK), and thus provide a unique opportunity for law-makers, practitioners and researchers to] compare, circulate and apply best practices of cooperative legislation.