Australian Feminist Judgments: Righting and Rewriting Law

(Paperback)

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Description

This book brings together feminist academics and lawyers to present an impressive collection of alternative judgments in a series of Australian legal cases. By re-imagining original legal decisions through a feminist lens, the collection explores the possibilities, limits and implications of feminist approaches to legal decision-making. Each case is accompanied by a brief commentary that places it in legal and historical context and explains what the feminist rewriting does differently to the original case. The cases not only cover topics of long-standing interest to feminist scholars such as family law, sexual offences and discrimination law but also areas which have had less attention, including Indigenous sovereignty, constitutional law, immigration, taxation and environmental law. The collection contributes a distinctly Australian perspective to the growing international literature investigating the role of feminist legal theory in judicial decision-making.

Reviews

Australian Feminist Judgments is a valuable extension of the emerging feminist judgement-writing genre. -- Heather Roberts * Legal Studies, Vol 35(3) *
The book is a fascinating and refreshing approach to judging. It will no doubt find a ready place in Law Schools, but more widely among the judiciary and the practising profession. -- Greg Reinhardt * Journal of Judicial Administration, 2015 *
Australian Feminist Judgemenst: Righting and Rewriting Law enlivens the reader's imagination about the real transformative potential of feminist legal reasoning. -- KCasey McLoughlin * Alternative Law Journal, 40:2 2015 *
...a marvellous sweep through all aspects of contemporary Australian judgments...You will never look at a judgment the same way again... -- Jennifer Giles * Workplace Review, 6:32 *
Australian Feminist Judgments ably and engagingly achieves its stated objective...the editors' innovations from the pre-existing models of feminist judgments...ensures that Australian Feminist Judgments provides rich material through which to consider feminist judging's nature, purpose and impact. -- Heather Roberts and Laura Sweeney * Sydney Law Review *
The judgments are eloquent, well-reasoned, realistic, and above all, interesting... Australian Feminist Judgments: Righting and Rewriting Law will appeal to a wide audience - particularly judges, academics, legal practitioners, law students and people who are interested in feminism or legal jurisprudence. -- Betheli O'Carroll * Griffith Law Review *
Australian Feminist Judgments is academic but accessible, and it is sure to spark many debates on the role of feminist jurisprudence...It reminds us that change within existing legal frameworks is possible. -- Caroline Jones * Portia *

Author Bio

Heather Douglas is a Professor and Francesca Bartlett is a Senior Lecturer at the TC Beirne School of Law, The University of Queensland. Trish Luker is a Chancellor's Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Faculty of Law, University of Technology, Sydney. Rosemary Hunter is Professor of Law and Socio-Legal Studies at Queen Mary, University of London.