Keith Mack
The First Law is a fantasy series written by British author Joe Abercrombie. The First Law is also the title of the original trilogy in the series, but the name is used to refer to the series as a whole. The series consists of a trilogy, three stand-alone novels, short stories, and a second trilogy, titled The Age of Madness. The First Law is sometimes marketed under the name World of the First Law. Common law, on the other hand, is a legal system based on precedent, where previous cases and judicial opinions determine how new cases are resolved. It originated with England's monarchy and is deeply rooted in stare decisis, which means to stand by things decided.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Common Name | The First Law of Thermodynamics |
| Other Names | Law of Conservation of Energy, Energy Conservation Law |
| Principle | Energy in a closed system is conserved |
| Equation | \(∆U = Q - W\) or \(dU = δq - δw\) |
| Description | The law states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred or transformed from one form to another. |
| Applications | Used in physics, chemistry, and engineering to analyze and design energy systems, engines, and processes. |
| Examples | Burning of fuel, chemical reactions, phase changes, flow of heat, work done by a gas expanding against a piston |
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What You'll Learn
The First Law: A Fantasy Series
The First Law is a fantasy series written by British author Joe Abercrombie. The First Law is the title of the original trilogy in the series, but the name is also used to refer to the series as a whole. The series is set in an epic fantasy world on the brink of an Industrial Revolution, with a powerful kingdom reminiscent of Western and Central Europe, particularly the Holy Roman Empire. Long ago, the world was inhabited by both Demons and Humans. Then, hundreds or thousands of years ago, Euz, a legendary half-Demon and half-Human with great magical powers, banished the Demons from the world. Magic still exists, however, and is reliant on connections to the Other Side, where the Demons live.
The original trilogy features Logen Ninefingers, an infamous barbarian warrior of the North, nicknamed the "Bloody-Nine" after losing a finger in battle during a berserker rage; Sand dan Glokta, a former dashing young swordsman who, after years of torture by the Gurkish, becomes a torturer himself in the Union's Inquisition; Jezal dan Luthar, a self-centred, immature nobleman and swordsman; and Bayaz, First of the Magi, a wizard from an older time, whose magical skill is only outstripped by his political savvy.
The first of three stand-alone books following the original trilogy, this book follows mercenary Monzcarro “Monza” Murcatto on her quest for revenge after a deadly betrayal. The book introduces new characters from the world of the First Law and features multiple known characters from the original trilogy, including Caul Shivers, Shylo Vitari, and Nicomo Cosca.
The First Law series has been criticised for its lack of female representation, with one review noting that the first book only features one female character for the first third of the novel, while there are 20+ significant male characters. The series has also been described as "relentlessly pessimistic", with characters having "nothing good to look forward to". Despite this, the series has been well-received, with praise for its big battle scenes and exciting flair.
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Common Law: Definition and History
Common law, also known as judicial precedent, judge-made law, or case law, is a body of law primarily developed through judicial decisions instead of statutes. It is deeply rooted in stare decisis, which means "to stand by things decided". Courts follow precedents established by previous decisions, and judges determine which precedents to apply when deciding new cases. In the absence of a precedent, judges can resolve issues and establish new precedents.
Common law is typically contrasted with the civil law system, which is used in Continental Europe, Mexico, most of Central and South America, and some African countries. While common law systems place significant weight on precedent, civil law systems and judges tend to give less weight to judicial precedent. Common law systems trace their history to English common law, while civil law systems draw their history from the Napoleonic Code back to the Corpus Juris Civilis of Roman law.
The English common law system has its origins in the early Middle Ages in the King's Court (Curia Regis), a single royal court established for most of the country at Westminster, near London. It incorporated earlier Anglo-Saxon traditions, such as the jury, ordeals, the penalty of outlawry, and writs, which were part of the Norman common law. The Catholic Church also had its own court system for canon law, encompassing what is now considered family law. The primary sources for the history of common law in the Middle Ages are the plea rolls and the Year Books.
Over time, the common law system has influenced the legal systems of the United States and most Commonwealth countries. After the American Revolution, Massachusetts became the first state to establish an official Reporter of Decisions, and its reports became a basis for other states' common law. The United States federal courts relied on private publishers for law reports until after the Civil War. Today, New York common law is often chosen in commercial contracts worldwide due to its depth and predictability.
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Newton's First Law of Motion
Newton's First Law expresses the principle of inertia, which is the natural behaviour of a body to move in a straight line at a constant speed. Inertia is the tendency to resist changes in the state of motion. If all external forces cancel each other out, there is no net force acting on the object, and it will maintain its velocity.
The concept of an inertial observer is central to Newton's First Law. An inertial observer is someone who feels no effects of motion, such as a person standing on the ground watching a train go past or a passenger sitting on the train, who also feels no motion as the train moves smoothly in a straight line at a constant speed. Newton's First Law states that there is no way to say which inertial observer is "really" moving and which is "really" standing still, as there is no absolute standard of rest.
Newton's First Law provides the basis for Newtonian mechanics and modern physics. It helps explain the relationship between a physical object and the forces acting upon it. By understanding this relationship, we can better understand the motion of many physical objects and systems.
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Precedent in Common Law
Common law, which is deeply rooted in the principle of stare decisis ("to stand by things decided"), relies heavily on precedent. When a similar case has already been resolved, courts typically align their reasoning with the precedent set in that decision. In common law, precedent can either be binding, where it is something courts must follow, or persuasive, where it is something they can consider but do not have to follow.
In a common law jurisdiction, several stages of research and analysis are required to determine "what the law is" in a given situation. First, one must ascertain the facts. Then, relevant statutes and cases must be located, followed by the extraction of the principles, analogies, and statements by various courts to determine how the next court is likely to rule on the facts of the present case. More recent decisions and decisions of higher courts or legislatures carry more weight than earlier cases and those of lower courts. Finally, all the lines drawn and reasons given are integrated, and "what the law is" is determined and applied to the facts.
While common law courts are not absolutely bound by precedent, they can, when an extraordinarily good reason is shown, reinterpret and revise the law without legislative intervention. This allows the law to adapt to new trends in political, legal, and social philosophy. The common law evolves through a series of gradual steps, and over a decade or more, the law can change substantially without a sharp break, reducing disruptive effects.
In civil law systems, such as in France, court decisions tend to be extremely brief, mentioning only the relevant legislation and codal provisions without going into great detail. This is because judges primarily focus on fact-finding and applying codified law. In contrast, court decisions in common law jurisdictions give a sufficient ratio decidendi (the grounds for the decisions taken in previous cases) to guide future cases.
Some mixed systems, such as Scots law in Scotland, South African law, and the law of Quebec and Louisiana, do not fit into the civil vs. common law dichotomy because they mix portions of both. Louisiana courts, for example, operate under both stare decisis and jurisprudence constante, a doctrine similar to stare decisis that dictates that a court's decision must condone a cohesive and predictable result. In South Africa, the precedent of higher courts is absolutely binding on lower courts, while the precedent of lower courts only has persuasive authority on higher courts.
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Common Law vs. Statutory Law
The First Law is a fantasy series written by British author Joe Abercrombie. Now, as I understand, you want to know about Common Law and Statutory Law.
Common law, also known as "case law", is uncodified, meaning it is not compiled into rules and statutes. It relies on precedent—past judicial opinions—and is deeply rooted in stare decisis ("to stand by things decided"), where courts follow precedents established by previous decisions. When a similar case has been resolved, courts typically align their reasoning with the precedent set in that decision. However, in a "case of first impression" with no precedent or clear legislative guidance, judges are empowered to resolve the issue and establish a new precedent. Common law is more malleable than statutory law as common-law courts can reinterpret and revise the law without legislative intervention.
Statutory law, on the other hand, is based on current statutes or written laws. It is also known as civil law and is strict in its application. Statutory law is flexible and can be overturned or changed if a later legislative body finds them unconstitutional. It is a body of law resulting from statutes or laws passed by a legislature. Statutory laws are easily accessible, as they can be located and read in a law library or online.
Both common and statutory laws set a standard of acceptable behaviour and justice for citizens and their governments. However, they differ in their origins and applications.
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Frequently asked questions
The First Law is a fantasy series written by British author Joe Abercrombie.
The First Law is the title of the original trilogy in the series, which follows the mercenary Monzcarro "Monza" Murcatto on her quest for revenge after a deadly betrayal.
The first book in the trilogy is titled "The Great Leveller".
Yes, a film adaptation of Best Served Cold from Skydance Media is currently in pre-production, with Tim Miller attached to direct.
Some other common names for The First Law include La Primera Ley, A Primeira Lei, and La Première Loi.
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