Emeritus Professor Peter Butt
Profile
Degrees
BA; LLM Syd; LLD Syd
Websites
Peter Butt's Plain Language website
Visiting appointments
- Inns of Court Fellow, London, 2001
- Visiting Professor, University of Bristol (UK) 1986,1992, 1996
- Visiting Professor, Vanderbilt University (USA) 1992
- Visiting Fellow, Nottingham University (UK) 1982
Brief Biographical Detail
- Founding Director, Centre for Plain Legal Language
- Lecturer and author in land law, native title, and legal drafting
- Past President of Clarity (an international plain language association)
- Lecturer and author in land law
- Papers delivered at conferences and seminars in Australia, Hong Kong, Ireland, England, Canada, United States of America, on the topics of legal drafting and land law
- Consultant to Australian Government on land law aspects of Native Title Act 1993
- Consultant to New South Wales Law Reform Commission on various reforms to property law
- Consultant in property law and legal drafting, Mallesons Stephen Jaques, Solicitors
Recent publications
Books and Monographs | Book Chapters | Refereed Articles | Conference Papers/Presentations | Editorial roles
Books and monographs
- Butt, P & Aitken, J K, Piesse: The Elements of Drafting, Lawbook Co: Sydney (10th ed, 2004).
- Butt, P & Castle, R, Modern Legal Drafting: A guide to using clearer language, CUP: Sydney (2001).
- Butt, P, Land Law, Thompson, LBC: Sydney (4th ed, 2001).
- Butt, P, Eagleson, R & Lane, P, Mabo, Wik and Native Title, Federation Press: Sydney (3rd ed, 2001); (2nd ed, 1998).
- Butt, P, Standard Contract for the Sale of Land in NSW, LBC: Sydney (2nd ed, 1998); (1st ed, 1986).
- Butt, P & Nygh, P (eds), Australian Legal Dictionary, Butterworths: Sydney (1997).
- Butt, P & Ticehurst, F, The Torrens System in New South Wales, Thomson: Sydney (1997).
- Butt, P, Property Law Statutes – New South Wales (1995).
- Butt, P & Eagleson, R, Mabo: What the High Court Said, Federation Press: Sydney (3rd ed,1996); (2nd ed, 1993).
- Butt, P, Certoma, G, Stein, R & Sappideen, C, Real Property: Commentary and Materials, Lawbook Co: Sydney (3rd ed, 1990).
- Butt, P & Sappideen, C, The Perpetuities Act 1984, Lawbook Co: Sydney (1986).
- Butt, P, "The Mabo Case and its Aftermath: Indigenous land title in Australia" in G van Maanen & A van der Wait (eds), Property Law on the Threshold of the 21st Century, Maklu: Netherlands (1997), 195-516.
- Butt, P, "Reforming the language of property law" in P Jackson & D Wilde (eds), The Reform of Property Law, Ashgate: Aldershot (1997), 3-16.
- Butt, P, ‘The assumptions behind Plain Legal Language’ (2002) 32 Hong Kong Law Journal 173-186.
- Butt, P, ‘Modern Legal Drafting’ (2002) 23 Statute Law Review 12-23.
Conference papers/presentations
- Butt, P, ‘The Wik Decision – What the High Court really decided’, Sydney, 1998.
- Butt, P, ‘Plain Language for Property Lawyers’, paper presented at Property Law Series, Sydney, 1999.
- Butt, P, ‘Decision Writing: A plain language perspective’, paper presented at Administrative Decisions Tribunal Seminar on Decision-Making, Sydney, 1999.
- Editor, "Conveyancing and Property " column, Australian Law Journal
- Editor, "Sale of Land" volumes, Australian Encyclopedia of Forms and Precedents
- Former Editor, Law Book Co Practical Forms and Precedents
- Editorial Board, Australian Property Law Journal
- Editorial Board, Clarity (an international plain language journal)
