Lord Goff of Chieveley retired as Senior Law Lord on 1 September 1998. This collection of essays was specially commissioned to mark his lordship's contribution to legal scholarship, not just from the bench, but as a teacher of law and as the co-author of a leading textbook on the Law of Restitution. There cannot be many who can claim distinction in all three areas of the law.

Although a number of the essays naturally focus on Unjust Enrichment, Lord Goff's interests range far beyond that subject. Hence, there are contributions on Criminal Law, Comparative Law, Contract, Tort, and Private International Law. The Search for Principle also takes the opportunity to bring to a wider audience Lord Goff's influential 1983 Macabaean Lecture.

There is also a Foreword by Lord Mackay of Clashfern.