Martin Vranken

This concise yet detailed book explores the historical foundations and modern developments of the ancient doctrine of breach of confidence. The authors show that despite its humble beginnings, stilted development and air of quaintness the doctrine has modern relevance and influence, its sense of 'trust and confidence' still resonating with the information society of today. Topical chapters include, 'Inventing an equitable doctrine', 'Privacy and publicity in early Victorian Britain', 'Searching for balance in the employment relationship', as well as many others. Breach of Confidence will make insightful reading for all those interested in issues of privacy and information, and will appeal strongly to practicing lawyers and judges as well as academic researchers and postgraduate law students.

Death of Labour Law? questions the on-going relevance of labour law in Australia and other Western industrialised societies in the twenty-first century. The tension between economic flexibility for business and social stability for workers is set against the backdrop of the Rudd government's 'Forward with Fairness' reform agenda and similar proposals for change in the European Union. Martin Vranken retraces the birth and subsequent growth of labour law and argues that it is essentially a mechanism for employee protection, not labour market regulation. Death of Labour Law? offers a fresh perspective on the current debate about labour law and the role of the state in Australian industrial and workplace relations.