'Professor Jackson's robust and lucid style distinguishes [this book] from all its rivals. Here is a man who not only knows his own mind but is prepared to reveal it with vigour and clarity. The principal strengths of the book lie in its clear presentation of the subject, often tracing its development over the years, and above all in its critical appraisal … the quality of Jackson's Machinery of Justice is so conspicuous that it rightly ranks as a classic of modern legal writing. It is the definitive answer to anyone who questions whether the English legal system is suitable for academic study, and those who reard the legal system as one of their sustained work over the years.' The Times Higher Education Supplement