Year: 2025
Type: paratext
Abstract: The process of assembling a new issue of the UCL Journal of Law and Jurisprudence is always a compelling journey through the varied landscapes of contemporary legal thought.Each volume reflects not only the pressing concerns of our time, but also the intellectual curiosity and normative ambition of scholars at different stages of their academic journeys.Once again, this latest volume delivers a careful selection of articles that traverse disciplinary boundaries and offer fresh perspectives on established emerging legal problems.Volume 14 offers a particularly rich journey, advancing from the foundational theories of Bentham and the architecture of surveillance, through urgent questions of democratic stability, digital vulnerability, and environmental justice, to the perennial challenges of legislative integrity.The opening piece, by Jeevan Shemar, 'Examining the Panopticon as an icon of Jeremy Bentham's Philosophical Ideas,' offers a comprehensive analysis of Jeremy Bentham's panopticon, arguing that it serves as an enduring emblem of his philosophical ideas.Beyond symbolising surveillance and control, the panopticon reflects Bentham's broader commitments to utility, transparency, economic efficiency, and societal innovation.Jeevan shows the panopticon's architectural design embodies principles of governance, incentivisation, and public accountability-seeking to maximise community happiness even as it risks oppressive and dehumanising consequences.The article also discusses Bentham's proposals for penal reform, democratic engagement, and economic liberalism, contextualising his ambitions and naiveté within their historical moment.Ultimately, the panopticon is presented as a complex symbol uniting Bentham's theories of ethics, governance, and reform-illuminating both the promise and peril of his utilitarian vision.Following this, Jana Ruwayha's 'Resilience or Regression?Navigating Legal Transformation in the Era of Permacrisis' maps the evolving terrain of legal systems grappling with continuous crisis.Jana argues that emergency powers, once reserved for extraordinary circumstances, are increasingly normalised and embedded within everyday legal frameworks, posing threats to democratic principles.Drawing on Complex Adaptive Systems theory, the paper analyses the evolution and entrenchment of legal responses, highlighting risks of democratic backsliding.It reconceptualises resilience, suggesting that adaptability must always be paired with strong protections for fundamental rights, and contends that true resilience in law requires commitment to democratic safeguards in a world marked by sustained global uncertainty.
Source: Journal of Law and Jurisprudence
Language: English
Subfield: Law
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4416408498
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