The Anthropology of Justice: Law as Culture in Islamic Society / Edition 1

by Lawrence Rosen

Overview

In this first full-scale study of the operations of a modern Islamic court of law in the Arabic-speaking world, the author examines the cultural foundations of judicial discretion. He shows how the analysis of legal systems requires an understanding of the concepts and relationships encountered in everyday life. Using the Islamic courts of Morocco as its substantive base, he demonstrates how the shaping of facts in a court of law, the use of local experts, and the organization of the judicial structure all contribute to the reliance on local concepts and personnel to inform the range of judicial discretion. By drawing comparisons with Anglo-American law, the author demonstrates that in both societies, it is necessary to view law as integral to culture and culture as indispensable to law.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521367400
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	06/15/1989
Series:	Lewis Henry Morgan Lectures , #1985
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	132
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x 0.31(d)

Table of Contents

Foreword Alfred Harris; Preface; 1. Law and culture: the appeal to analogy; 2. Determining the indeterminable; 3. Reason, intent, and the logic of consequence; 4. Judicial discretion, state power, and the concept of justice; Notes; Bibliography; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"Rosen's argument is exceptionally interesting and well-constructed....This is the first detailed and contemporary analysis of the workings of an Islamic court." Philosophy East & West

"Commendable...Rosen's work is an original and welcome contribution to the understanding of the apparent contradictions and peculiarities of Islamic society. One would wish for more studies of this nature and quality." P.J. Vatikiotis, Encounter

From the Publisher