Bernard Stuart Jackson is a former law professor at Liverpool Polytechnic, the University of Kent (1985), and the University of Liverpool (Queen Victoria Professor of Law, 1989–97). From 1997-2009 he was Alliance Professor of Modern Jewish Studies at the

University of Manchester The University of Manchester is a public university, public research university in Manchester, England. The main campus is south of Manchester city centre, Manchester City Centre on Wilmslow Road, Oxford Road. The University of Manchester is c ...

, Co-Director of its Centre for Jewish Studies and Director of its Agunah Research Unit (2004–09). Latterly, he was (PT) Professor of Law and Jewish Studies at Liverpool Hope University (2009–15). His major academic interests are legal theory,

semiotics Semiotics ( ) is the systematic study of sign processes and the communication of meaning. In semiotics, a sign is defined as anything that communicates intentional and unintentional meaning or feelings to the sign's interpreter. Semiosis is a ...

, and Jewish law. Jackson was the founding editor of ''The Jewish Law Annual'', 1978–97; and (with others) has published ''An Introduction to the History and Sources of Jewish Law'' (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1996). Jackson works with colleagues in the

Mishpat Ivri ''Mishpat Ivri'' (, "Jewish/Hebrew law/jurisprudence") are the aspects of ''halakha'' ("traditional Jewish law") that are relevant to non-religious or secular law. In addition, the term refers to an academic approach to the Jewish legal tradition ...

movement yet he criticizes the dominant approach based on

legal positivism In jurisprudence (also known as legal philosophy), legal positivism is the theory that the existence of the law and its content depend on social facts, such as acts of legislation, judicial decisions, and customs, rather than on morality. This con ...

and has been both Hon. President and Chairman of The Jewish Law Association. He was a founder member of the International Association for the Semiotics of Law, and initiator of its journal. Jackson studied early Jewish law under

David Daube David Daube (8 February 1909, in Freiburg, Germany – 24 February 1999, in Berkeley, California) was the twentieth century's preeminent scholar of ancient law. He combined a familiarity with many legal systems, particularly Roman law and biblic ...

Regius Professor of Civil Law (Oxford) The Regius Chair of Civil Law, founded in the 1540s, is one of the oldest professorships at the University of Oxford. Foundation The Regius Chair of Civil Law at Oxford was founded by King Henry VIII, who established five such Regius Professorshi ...

Selected works

Single author books: *''Theft in Early Jewish Law'', Oxford, The Clarendon Press, 1972 *''Essays in Jewish and Comparative Legal History'', Leiden, E. J Brill, 1975 *''Semiotics and Legal Theory'', London, Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1985; paperback ed. 1987, reprinted Deborah Charles Publications 1997 *''Law, Fact and Narrative Coherence'', Merseyside, Deborah Charles Publications, 1988; paperback ed. 1990 *''Making Sense in Law. Linguistic, Psychological and Semiotic Perspectives'', Liverpool, Deborah Charles Publications, 1995, pp.xii + 512 *''Making Sense in Jurisprudence, Liverpool, Deborah Charles Publications'', 1996, pp. 362 *''Studies in the Semiotics of Biblical Law'', Sheffield, Sheffield Academic Press, 2000, pp. 332 (JSOT Supplement Series, 314) *"Wisdom-Laws: A Study of the Mishpatim of Exodus 21:1-22:16", Oxford. Oxford University Press, 2006, pp. 552 *"Essays on Halakhah in the New Testament", Leiden: E.J. Brill, 2007, pp. 264 (Jewish and Christian Perspectives Series, 16) * Agunah, The Manchester Analysis, Liverpool: Deborah Charles Publications, 2011, pp. 299 Full bibliography (over 200 items) at http://www.legaltheory.demon.co.uk/lib_biblioBSJ1.html, updated annually

External links

full bibliography for Bernard Jackson
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jackson, Bernard English lawyers Academics of the University of Manchester English legal writers Living people Year of birth missing (living people)