The work of a renowned Finnish legal historian provides an overview of the development of law in the West from the times of the clan system to the present day, focusing in particular on the relationship between legal systems and social and economic conditions. The author's excursions into Finnish law are complemented by a chapter on the development of Estonian law written by Peeter Järvelaid, professor of legal history at the University of Tartu.
The work is intended primarily for law students, but due to its fluent language and interesting presentation of content, it is also suitable for reading by all other people interested in legal problems.