Designing Indicators for a Plural Legal World

Designing Indicators for a Plural Legal World explores the role of quantification in law and its impact on law and development, highlighting the limitations of existing tools and offering an alternative framework that emphasizes human capabilities and access to justice.

Format: Hardback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 10 November 2022
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Designing Indicators for a Plural Legal World delves into the intricate relationship between quantification and law, exploring its profound implications for law, development, and judicial reform. It aims to scrutinize the ways in which various institutions shape and influence the creation and utilization of legal indicators on a global scale. This insightful book sheds light on the limitations of existing quantification tools, which often fail to adequately capture the nuances and complexities of the rule of law in contexts and countries in the Global South. It presents an alternative framework for measurement that shifts away from an institutional perspective on the rule of law and towards a bottom-up, user-centered approach that emphasizes the lives and challenges of individuals. By doing so, it offers a novel way of conceptualizing access to justice in terms of human capabilities.

The book begins by examining the historical roots and evolution of legal indicators, highlighting their significance in measuring and assessing the rule of law. It then delves into the challenges posed by the current state of quantification, including its lack of engagement with the unique contexts and realities of the Global South. The authors argue that a more holistic and user-centered approach is necessary to accurately capture the multifaceted nature of the rule of law.

To achieve this, the book proposes a framework for measuring the rule of law that emphasizes the importance of human capabilities. It recognizes that the lives and experiences of individuals are intricately linked to the legal framework, and that a more comprehensive understanding of the rule of law requires a focus on the capabilities that individuals need to thrive. The framework encompasses a range of dimensions, including access to justice, legal infrastructure, legal knowledge, and the ability to engage with the legal system.

Throughout the book, the authors provide examples and case studies from various countries and regions, showcasing the application of the proposed framework. They illustrate how legal indicators can be used to assess the effectiveness of legal systems, identify areas for improvement, and monitor progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The authors also emphasize the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and the need for a multi-stakeholder approach to designing and implementing legal indicators.

Designing Indicators for a Plural Legal World is a valuable resource for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners interested in understanding the role of quantification in law and its impact on law and development. It offers a comprehensive and innovative framework for measuring the rule of law that emphasizes human capabilities and provides a roadmap for achieving a more just and equitable legal world.

Weight: 496g
Dimension: 159 x 238 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781316514894