Overview
- A highly original, detailed empirical study of the lower courts
- Interdisciplinary approach appealing to a wide variety of academic disciplines
Part of the book series: Palgrave Socio-Legal Studies (PSLS)
Access this book
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Other ways to access
Table of contents (8 chapters)
Keywords
About this book
Judicial authority is constituted by everyday practices of individual judicial officers, balancing the obligations of formal law and procedure with the distinctive interactional demands of lower courts. Performing Judicial Authority in the Lower Courts draws on extensive original, independent empirical data to identify different ways judicial officers approach and experience their work. It theorizes the meanings of these variations for the legitimate performance of judicial authority.
The central theoretical and empirical finding presented in this book is the incomplete fit between conventional norms of judicial performance, emphasizing detachment and impersonality, and the practical, day-to-day judicial work in high volume, time-pressured lower courts. Understanding the judicial officer as the crucial link between formal abstract law, the legal institution of the court and the practical tasks of the courtroom, generates a more complete theory of judicial legitimacy which includes the manner in which judicial officers present themselves and communicate their decisions in court.Reviews
“Original, authoritative and scholarly, Performing Judicial Authority in the Lower Courts by Sharyn Roach Anleu and Kathy Mack is an essential text for law, socio-legal and criminology students. But it is also recommended as a most informative and enjoyable read for everyone else interested in law, politics and social justice.” (Pat Carlen, The British Journal of Criminology, October, 2017)
“The book is very well written, clearly organised and remarkably free of jargon and legalise. Hence, it would be readily accessible not only to students, lawyers, researchers and judicial officers themselves, but also to general readers. … For those of a more scholarly bent, a detailed description of the methodology is included in an appendix.” (Margaret Thornton, Flinders Law Journal, Vol. 19, 2017)
“This is a very readable book that is easy to follow and digest and that adds a behind-the-scenes look at how judicial performances are crafted and performed. I wouldhighly recommend it for readers interested in a symbolic interactionist view of the courtroom performances of judicial officers. … The book is thus aimed at a wide audience and would appeal beyond the immediate field of socio-legal studies into sociology, criminology, sociology of law, and sociology of professions.” (Lisa Flower, Symbolic Interaction, 2017)
Authors and Affiliations
About the authors
Sharyn Roach Anleu is is Matthew Flinders Distinguished Professor in the School of Social and Policy Studies at Flinders University, Adelaide, and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia. She has published widely on sociology of law, deviance and social control, and gender in the legal profession.
Kathy Mack is an Emerita Professor in the Flinders Law School at Flinders University, Australia. She is the author of a monograph, book chapters and articles on alternative dispute resolution, and articles on legal education and evidence. With her co-author, Sharyn Roach Anleu, she has also conducted empirical research involving plea negotiations.
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Performing Judicial Authority in the Lower Courts
Authors: Sharyn Roach Anleu, Kathy Mack
Series Title: Palgrave Socio-Legal Studies
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-52159-0
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan London
eBook Packages: Law and Criminology, Law and Criminology (R0)
Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2017
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-137-52158-3Published: 23 November 2016
eBook ISBN: 978-1-137-52159-0Published: 10 May 2017
Series ISSN: 2947-9274
Series E-ISSN: 2947-9282
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XIV, 234
Topics: Socio-legal Studies, Sociology of Work, Political Sociology