Women Under the Law is of particular topical interest given the incorporation of the European Convention on Human Rights into UK law by the Human Rights Act 1998. The Act is widely seen as a progressive legal development. The author challenges the assumption that incorporation will improve the position of women and of disadvantaged groups in general, drawing attention to the unequal access to justice of the disadvantaged - a problem reinforced by the proposed changes to Legal Aid. She also highlights the predominantly individualistic nature of the rights incorporated and focuses on the increased judicial power associated with the provision of legal 'rights' which are, of their nature, abstract and ill-defined.