Re: Popular Justice and The Rule of Law -- 1

[Scott Marshall <scott@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Justin I think this is just a wordy way of saying what I was getting at:
rule of law is only a form of class justice depending on which class is
administering it at the time. It is only a superior form of justice in
working class hands. This is very clear in the US where the rule of law
codifies corproate domination and class injustice for the working class and
oppressed people. This in no way makes the struggle to use rule of law for
the benefit of the working class where possible a useless thing. You of all
people must have a class based sence of rulr of law if you hope to use your
law degree for the good of the working class.

Scott

At 02:36 AM 2/24/96 -0500, you wrote:
>
>Like Scott, I agree that popular justice has its moments. Like Leo, I
>regard the rule of law as an unalloyed good--a term derived from E.P.
>Thompson, in the conclusion of his brilliant and savage study of the class
>rule of law in 18th century Britain (Whigs and Hunters). To say that the
>rule of law does not solve all problems connected with injustice is not to
>say that we have an adequate substitute for it. Least of all does it
>undermine the idea of the rule of law to observe that in a class society
>the disadvantaged are more likely to be subject to its rigors. That is a
>condemnation of the society, not the rule of law.
>
>(Interest advisory: I'm a law student.)
>
>--Justin



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