Ilbert, Courtenay. The Mechanics of Law Making. New York: Columbia University Press, 1914. viii, 209 pp. Reprinted 2001 by The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd. LCCN 99-047156. ISBN 1-58477-044-9. Cloth. $70. Text of a series of lectures delivered in October 1913 at Columbia University on judicial presence, English legislation and statutes, aspects of law drafting and codification. Ilbert also provides an example of the workings of the legislative process in his discussion of the origin and functions of the Parliamentary Counsel's office in England. Ilbert was the clerk of the House of Commons.
Sir Courtenay Peregrine Ilbert, GCB, KCSI, CIE, FBA (12 June 1841 – 14 May 1924) was a distinguished British lawyer and civil servant who served as legal adviser to the Viceroy of India's Council for many years until his eventual return from India to England. His later career included appointments as the First Parliamentary Counsel (1899–1902) and as Clerk of the House of Commons from 1902 to 1921.