Law by Night

Law by Night by Jonathan Goldberg-Hiller explores how the social experience and cultural meanings of night promote racialized and gender violence, but also make possible freedom of movement for marginalized groups. He argues that liberal legal doctrine lacks a theory of the night that accounts for a nocturnal politics that has historically allowed violence to persist, and that by locating the laws nocturnal limits, we can understand how the law reinforces hierarchies of race and gender and foregrounds the nights potential to enliven a more egalitarian social life.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 344 pages
Publication date: 09 November 2023
Publisher: Duke University Press

In his book "Law by Night," Jonathan Goldberg-Hiller delves into the enigmatic realm of modern law and its authority, shedding light on its functioning in the obscurity of the night. He explores how the social and cultural aspects of night contribute to the perpetuation of racialized and gender-based violence, while simultaneously providing opportunities for marginalized groups to exercise their freedom of movement that might otherwise be limited during the day. Through an in-depth examination of nighttime racial violence, curfews, gun ownership, the right to sleep, and "take back the night" rallies, Goldberg-Hiller compellingly argues that liberal legal doctrine lacks a comprehensive theory that accounts for the nocturnal politics that have historically facilitated the persistence of violence. By identifying the boundaries of the law in the nighttime context, he offers a profound enrichment of our understanding of how the law perpetuates hierarchies of race and gender and highlights the potential for the night to foster a more egalitarian social life.

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Weight: 445g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781478025351