The Democratic Courthouse

Author : Linda Mulcahy,Emma Rowden
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 333 pages
File Size : 54,7 Mb
Release : 2019-09-20
Category : Architecture
ISBN : 9780429558689

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The Democratic Courthouse by Linda Mulcahy,Emma Rowden Pdf

The Democratic Courthouse examines how changing understandings of the relationship between government and the governed came to be reflected in the buildings designed to house the modern legal system from the 1970s to the present day in England and Wales. The book explores the extent to which egalitarian ideals and the pursuit of new social and economic rights altered existing hierarchies and expectations about how people should interact with each other in the courthouse. Drawing on extensive public archives and private archives kept by the Ministry of Justice, but also using case studies from other jurisdictions, the book details how civil servants, judges, lawyers, architects, engineers and security experts have talked about courthouses and the people that populate them. In doing so, it uncovers a changing history of ideas about how the competing goals of transparency, majesty, participation, security, fairness and authority have been achieved, and the extent to which aspirations towards equality and participation have been realised in physical form. As this book demonstrates, the power of architecture to frame attitudes and expectations of the justice system is much more than an aesthetic or theoretical nicety. Legal subjects live in a world in which the configuration of space, the cues provided about behaviour by the built form and the way in which justice is symbolised play a crucial, but largely unacknowledged, role in creating meaning and constituting legal identities and rights to participate in the civic sphere. Key to understanding the modern-day courthouse, this book will be of interest to scholars and students in all fields of law, architecture, sociology, political science, psychology and criminology.

Author : Robert J. Hume
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 230 pages
File Size : 49,7 Mb
Release : 2013-05-02
Category : Law
ISBN : 9780199982172

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Courthouse Democracy and Minority Rights by Robert J. Hume Pdf

In Courthouse Democracy and Minority Rights: Same-Sex Marriage in the States, Robert J. Hume shows how increasing the democratic accountability of courts has limited the ability of judges to act as reform agents. When judges are elected, or when their decisions can be easily overturned with initiative amendment procedures, they lose the capacity to stand up for the rights of the minorities.

Author : Judith Resnik,Dennis Edward Curtis
Publisher : Yale University Press
Page : 719 pages
File Size : 54,5 Mb
Release : 2011-01-01
Category : Law
ISBN : 9780300110968

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Representing Justice by Judith Resnik,Dennis Edward Curtis Pdf

A remnant of the Renaissance : the transnational iconography of justice -- Civic space, the public square, and good governance -- Obedience : the judge as the loyal servant of the state -- Of eyes and ostriches -- Why eyes? : color, blindness, and impartiality -- Representations and abstractions : identity, politics, and rights -- From seventeenth-century town halls to twentieth-century courts -- A building and litigation boom in Twentieth-Century federal courts -- Late Twentieth-Century United States courts : monumentality, security, and eclectic imagery -- Monuments to the present and museums of the past : national courts (and prisons) -- Constructing regional rights -- Multi-jurisdictional premises : from peace to crimes -- From "rites" to "rights" -- Courts : in and out of sight, site, and cite -- An iconography for democratic adjudication.

Author : Stephanie Mencimer
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
Page : 305 pages
File Size : 49,6 Mb
Release : 2006-12-05
Category : Law
ISBN : 9780743277006

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Blocking the Courthouse Door by Stephanie Mencimer Pdf

Charges the Bush administration and corporations with compromising civil liberties that protect the rights of Americans to sue, identifying the government's role in small business bankruptcy, and the deterioration of private medical practices.

Author : Douglas J. Amy
Publisher : Dog Ear Publishing
Page : 320 pages
File Size : 50,5 Mb
Release : 2011
Category : Democracy
ISBN : 9781457506581

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Government Is Good by Douglas J. Amy Pdf

Why a book defending government? Because for decades, right-wing forces in this country have engaged in a relentless and irresponsible campaign of vicious government bashing. Conservatives and libertarians have demonized government, attacked basic safety net programs like Medicare, and undermined vital regulations that protect consumers, investors, workers, and the environment. This book takes on this anti-government movement and shows that most of its criticisms of this institution are highly exaggerated, misleading, or just plain wrong. In reality, American government - despite its flaws - plays a valuable and indispensable role in promoting the public good. Most government programs are working well and are actually improving the lives of Americans in innumerable ways. Democratic government is a vital tool for making our world a better place; and if we want an America that is prosperous, healthy, secure, well-educated, just, compassionate, and unpolluted, we need a strong, active, and well-funded public sector. Part I: Why Government is Good. The section of the book describes how government acts as a force for good in society. One chapter chronicles a day in the life of an average middle-class American and identifies the myriad ways that government programs improve our lives. Other chapters describe the forgotten achievements of government; how government is the only way to effectively promote public values like justice and equality; and how a free market economy would be impossible without the elaborate legal and regulatory infrastructure provided by government. Part II: The War on Government. This section of the book chronicles the unrelenting assault on government being waged by conservative forces in this country. Chapters describe how cuts in social programs and rollbacks of regulations have harmed the health, safety, and welfare of millions of Americans and how these assaults have taken place on many fronts - in Congress, the administrative branch, and the federal courts, as well as on the state and local level. Also addressed: how the right's radical anti-government agenda is out of touch with the views and priorities of most Americans, and what the real truth is about government deficits. Part III: How to Revitalize Democracy and Government. There are, in fact, some problems with American government, and we need to address these if we are to restore Americans' faith in this institution. One of the main problems with our government is that it is not accountable and responsive enough to the public. Moneyed special interests too often win out over the public interest. Chapters in this section describe this problem and how we can fix it. There are several reforms - including public financing of elections - that could help our government live up to its democratic ideals. The final chapter discusses strategies for building a pro-government coalition in this country.

Author : Samuel Issacharoff
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 311 pages
File Size : 47,6 Mb
Release : 2015-06-17
Category : Law
ISBN : 9781107038707

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Fragile Democracies by Samuel Issacharoff Pdf

This book examines how constitutional courts can support weak democratic states in the wake of societal division and authoritarian regimes.

Author : John Gastil,E. Pierre Deess,Philip J. Weiser,Cindy Simmons
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 288 pages
File Size : 54,9 Mb
Release : 2010-11-10
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780199888535

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The Jury and Democracy by John Gastil,E. Pierre Deess,Philip J. Weiser,Cindy Simmons Pdf

Alexis de Tocqueville, John Stuart Mill, and the U.S. Supreme Court have all alleged that jury service promotes civic and political engagement, yet none could prove it. Finally, The Jury and Democracy provides compelling systematic evidence to support this view. Drawing from in-depth interviews, thousands of juror surveys, and court and voting records from across the United States, the authors show that serving on a jury can trigger changes in how citizens view themselves, their peers, and their government--and can even significantly increase electoral turnout among infrequent voters. Jury service also sparks long-term shifts in media use, political action, and community involvement. In an era when involved Americans are searching for ways to inspire their fellow citizens, The Jury and Democracy offers a plausible and realistic path for turning passive spectators into active political participants.

Author : Stephanie Mencimer
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
Page : 304 pages
File Size : 40,8 Mb
Release : 2006-12-05
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780743298605

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Blocking the Courthouse Door by Stephanie Mencimer Pdf

Thanks to constant political oratory against "frivolous lawsuits" and "jackpot justice," it is widely known that there's a legal crisis in this country. President Bush never misses an opportunity to call for laws that would bring more "common sense" to a legal system that, he claims, is out of control, wrecking the economy, driving doctors out of their practices, bankrupting small businesses, and costing American jobs. Journalists repeat the charges without examining them. As a result, the lawsuit issue has moved to the political front burner, and in the past three years, state after state has responded by limiting citizens' rights to sue. Just this year alone, the Republicanled Congress has passed restrictions on class action lawsuits and is steps away from enacting limits on medical malpractice lawsuits. But is there really a crisis? National data show that the number of civil suits is falling, not rising, and that the average damage award is also going down. Despite intense media hype to the contrary, the number of personal injury lawsuits filed every year has been tumbling for the past decade. Upon closer examination, the stories of ridiculous lawsuits usually turn out to be false or badly misleading. The crisis, in short, appears to be a phantom. So how do we explain the scary headlines? Who's behind the "tort reform movement," and what are the real goals? Blocking the Courthouse Door will show that the movement against so-called greedy trial lawyers and irresponsible plaintiffs is the result of a concerted and successful campaign by large corporations to get this issue on the table and thus limit their own vulnerability in the civil justice system. They have spent decades, and many millions of dollars, on focus groups and Madison Avenue public relations research. They have funded institutes, sponsored academic research, bankrolled politicians, set up phony "astroturf " grassroots organizations (with chamber of commerce return addresses), and fed copy to all-too-gullible journalists. For corporations, the self-interest involved is fairly plain. Tobacco companies, no longer able to dodge the bullet of liability for knowingly selling poisons, are making an end run around the civil justice system. If they can't win a class action suit, they'll make suing itself illegal. Insurance companies, drowning in red ink from mismanagement and bad investments in the bond market, hike insurance rates by huge sums and blame malpractice suits. The doctors in turn blame greedy lawyers -- and their own injured patients. And for Republicans, the campaign provides an extra bonus: defunding the Democratic Party. Limits on lawsuits cut into the income of some of the Democratic Party's most generous donors, the trial lawyers, who are often the only source of campaign cash for Democrats in many states. By exposing some of the dubious characters, corporate chicanery, skewed research, fudged numbers, and bogus journalism that have buttressed the calls for lawsuit reform,Stephanie Mencimer shows who's behind the movement to close the courthouse doors, and how they've successfully persuaded millions of Americans to give up their critical legal rights without fully understanding what they're losing -- often until it's too late.

Author : Anonim
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 52 pages
File Size : 48,9 Mb
Release : 2003
Category : Boston (Mass.)
ISBN : UCSD:31822034423707

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John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse and Harborpark by Anonim Pdf

Author : Wilber W. Caldwell
Publisher : Mercer University Press
Page : 634 pages
File Size : 49,6 Mb
Release : 2001
Category : Architecture
ISBN : 0865547483

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The Courthouse and the Depot by Wilber W. Caldwell Pdf

Their songs insist that the arrival of the railroad and the appearance of the tiny depot often created such hope that it inspired the construction of the architectural extravaganzas that were the courthouses of the era. In these buildings the distorted myth of the Old South collided head-on with the equally deformed myth of the New South."

Author : Richard Carlton Haney
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 656 pages
File Size : 53,6 Mb
Release : 1970
Category : Wisconsin
ISBN : WISC:89011511144

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A History of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin Since World War II. by Richard Carlton Haney Pdf

Author : Kirsty Duncanson,Emma Henderson
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 174 pages
File Size : 48,6 Mb
Release : 2021-09-28
Category : Architecture
ISBN : 9780429594793

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Courthouse Architecture, Design and Social Justice by Kirsty Duncanson,Emma Henderson Pdf

This collection interrogates relationships between court architecture and social justice, from consultation and design to the impact of material (and immaterial) forms on court users, through the lenses of architecture, law, socio-legal studies, criminology, anthropology, and a former senior federal judge. International multidisciplinary collaborations and single-author contributions traverse a range of methodological approaches to present new insights into the relationship between architecture, design, and justice. These include praxis, photography, reflections on process and decolonising practice, postcolonial, feminist, and poststructural analysis, and theory from critical legal scholarship, political science, criminology, literature, sociology, and architecture. While the opening contributions reflect on establishing design principles and architectural methodologies for ethical consultation and collaboration with communities historically marginalised and exploited by law, the central chapters explore the textures and affects of built forms and the spaces between; examining the disjuncture between design intention and use; and investigating the impact of architecture and the design of space. The collection finishes with contemplations of the very real significance of material presence or absence in courtroom spaces and what this might mean for justice. Courthouse Architecture, Design and Social Justice provides tools for those engaged in creating, and reflecting on, ethical design and building use, and deepens the dialogue across disciplinary boundaries towards further collaborative work in the field. It also exists as a new resource for research and teaching, facilitating undergraduate critical thought about the ways in which design enhances and restricts access to justice.

Author : Margaret T. Peters
Publisher : University of Virginia Press
Page : 280 pages
File Size : 54,9 Mb
Release : 1995
Category : Architecture
ISBN : 0813916046

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Virginia's Historic Courthouses by Margaret T. Peters Pdf

They examine historic structures ranging from the Essex County courthouse (1729) and the King William County courthouse, built ca. 1725 and one of the oldest public buildings in continuous use in the nation, to the newer historic courthouses such as Richmond's massive Supreme Court/State Library Building, dedicated in 1941.

Author : William H. Stewart
Publisher : University of Alabama Press
Page : 297 pages
File Size : 44,6 Mb
Release : 2016-09-06
Category : History
ISBN : 9780817319274

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Alabama Politics in the Twenty-First Century by William H. Stewart Pdf

An expansive and accessible primer on Alabama state politics, past and present, which provides an in-depth appreciation and understanding of the twenty-second state’s distinctive political machinery Why does Alabama rank so low on many of the indicators of quality of life? Why did some of the most dramatic developments in the civil rights revolution of the 1960s take place in Alabama? Why is it that a few interest groups seem to have the most political power in Alabama? William H. Stewart’s Alabama Politics in the Twenty-First Century explores these questions and more, illuminating many of the often misunderstood details of contemporary Alabama politics in this cohesive and comprehensive publication. The Alabama state government, especially as a specimen of Deep South politics, is a topic of frequent discussion by its general public—second only to college football. However, there remains a surprising lack of literature focusing on the workings of the state’s bureaucracy in an extensive and systematic way. Bearing in mind the Yellowhammer State’s long and rich political history, Stewart concentrates on Alabama’s statecraft from the first decade of the twenty-first century through the November 2010 elections and considers what the widespread Republican victories mean for their constituents. He also studies several different themes prominent during the 2010 elections, including the growing number and influence of special interest groups, the respective polarization of whites and blacks into the Republican and Democratic parties, and the increasingly unwieldy state constitution. This fascinating and revealing text provides a wealth of information about an extremely complex state government. Featuring detailed descriptions of important concepts and events presented in a thorough and intelligible manner, Alabama Politics in the Twenty-First Century is perfect for scholars, students, everyday Alabamians, or anyone who wants the inside scoop on the subtle inner workings of the Cotton State’s politics.

Author : United States. Congress. House. Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Subcommittee on Public Buildings and Economic Development
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 100 pages
File Size : 42,9 Mb
Release : 1997
Category : Architecture
ISBN : UCR:31210010690418

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General Services Administration Courthouse Construction Program by United States. Congress. House. Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Subcommittee on Public Buildings and Economic Development Pdf