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Sultany, Nimer (2009) 'Review of Plunder: When the Rule of Law is Illegal.' Journal of Law and Society, 36 (4). pp. 599-606.

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Alternative Location: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2218045

Abstract

This essay reviews Ugo Mattei and Laura Nader's book. After presenting the arguments I problematize three central themes in the book: legality, empire, and plunder. Examining each one of these themes I show that the authors did not present a convincing account. Legality is not carefully distinguished from other terms like justice, formal legitimacy, or substantive legitimacy. Imperialism is used in different ways throughout the book and the authors do not contrast their usage with Hardt and Negri's. Plunder is presented expansively as a unifying logic and in a functionalist manner. I conclude by calling for analytical clarity in scholarship examining the ideology of law.

Item Type: Book Reviews
SOAS Departments & Centres: Departments and Subunits > School of Law
Legacy Departments > Faculty of Law and Social Sciences > School of Law
School Research Centres > Centre of Islamic and Middle Eastern Law
ISSN: 0263323X
DOI (Digital Object Identifier): https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6478.2009.00488.x
Date Deposited: 21 Oct 2013 09:41
URI: https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/id/eprint/17293

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