Article: Book Review – Critical Trusts Law: Reading Roger Cotterrell

Hui Jing (Faculty of Law, The University of Hong Kong) recently published, Book Review – Critical Trusts Law: Reading Roger Cotterrell, 2025. Provided below is an Abstract: 

Critical Trusts Law: Reading Roger Cotterrell, edited by Nick Piška and Hayley Gibson (2024), is a landmark contribution to critical legal scholarship, building on Roger Cotterrell’s foundational 1987 work. This collection addresses contemporary challenges in trust law, including global finance, wealth inequality, and trust structures, through thirteen chapters that explore intersections with power, economic disparity, gender dynamics, and social justice.

The book comprises five interrelated themes: power relationships, economic justice, identity and gender, institutional analysis, and reform. Contributions by scholars such as Jonathan Garton, Carla Spivack, and Adam Gearey examine settlor control, empowered beneficiaries, and the role of trusts in wealth accumulation and tax avoidance. Johanna Jacques and Lisa Sarmas analyze family trusts and gendered dimensions, while Henry Jones and Michael Bryan explore charity law and ethical responsibilities. Mark Bennett and Adam Hofri-Winogradow advocate for subversion in trust law scholarship, and Cotterrell’s afterword reflects on three decades of critical inquiry.

This volume not only critiques existing frameworks but also proposes pathways for reform, emphasizing equity and transparency in trust law. It serves as an essential resource for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers, ensuring critical trust law remains responsive to contemporary legal, social, and ethical challenges.

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/trusts_estates_prof/2025/05/article-book-review-critical-trusts-law-reading-roger-cotterrell.html