[5.1] Judges are required to be independent in statutory interpretation in two main senses. First, they are independent in the sense of sovereign. In Australian law, judges are the sole authoritative arbiters of the meaning of legislation.

Legal unification is often said to be necessary for trans-border commerce: Europe is an optimal market, facilitated through the institution of the European Union. Alternatively, legal unification in Europe is linked to an idea of a European cultural identity. Behind these two justifications are two ideas about what Europe is. Can the same be said about Asia? In this chapter, Michaels connects discussions about an Asian identity with four concepts of Asia. The first concept is a European idea of Asia and Asian law, which defines a presumably homogeneous Asia on the basis of its level of difference from Europe. Of next three concepts, two of them explicitly invoke leadership of one country: China or Japan. Finally, the idea of Asian values attempts to avoid leadership by any one country in favour of a truly Asian identity. The three chapters cannot avoid the central problems of the European projection: they are all defined by their relation to the West. Michaels closes with an alternative concept of Asia “as method” to overcome these two shortcomings and may offer a more promising path towards an idea of Asian law.

This chapter focuses on skills and techniques in finding the law. The accomplished lawyer might not necessarily know every legal principle in a particular area, but he or she would at least know how to find the law quickly and accurately. Tips and techniques on finding the law quickly in both hard copy and online databases is provided. The last part of this chapter offers a manual for legal citation. Consistent with the aim of this book, this chapter guides students in bestowing them with the skill set necessary to start their legal studies and subsequent legal careers.