Expert Ignorance: The Law and Politics of Rule of Law Reform
Location:
Teaching Room 01,
Old College
Date/time
Mon 22 April 2024
14:00-17:00
About the event
Today, a transnational constellation of 'rule of law' experts advise on 'good' legal systems to countries in the Global South. Yet these experts often claim that the 'rule of law' is nearly impossible to define, and they frequently point to the limits of their own expertise. In this innovative book, Desai identifies this form of expertise as 'expert ignorance'. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach, Desai draws on insights from legal theory, sociology, development studies, and performance studies to explore how this paradoxical form of expertise works in practice. With a range of illustrative cases that span both global and local perspectives, this book considers the impact of expert ignorance on the rule of law and on expert governance more broadly. Contributing to the study of transnational law, governance, and expertise, Desai demonstrates the enduring power of proclaiming what one does not know.
Speakers of the event
Professor Amy Cohen, Temple University Beasley School of Law
Dr Gail Lythgoe, University of Edinburgh
Professor Neil Walker, University of Edinburgh
Dr Renske Vos, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Professor Scott Newton, School of Oriental and African Studies
Chair of the event; Professor Andrew Lang, University of Edinburgh