This article surveys the theory of the public enforcement of law -- the use of public agents (inspectors, tax auditors …, police, prosecutors) to detect and to sanction violators of legal rules. We first present the basic elements of the theory … examine a variety of extensions of the central theory, concerning accidental harms, costs of imposing fines, errors, general …

This article surveys the theory of the public enforcement of law--the use of public agents (inspectors, tax auditors …, police prosecutors) to detect and to sanction violators of legal rules. We first present the basic elements of the theory … examine a variety of extensions of the central theory, concerning accidental harms, costs of imposing fines, errors, general …

Economic Analysis of Law (Harvard University Press, 2003). In chapter 17, I consider the basic theory of litigation. Here I … chapter 18, I extend the basic theory of litigation, examining among other issues the bringing of negative value suits …, in chapter 19, I discuss several general aspects of the legal process not considered in the basic theory and its …