Law in the Courts of Love (The Politics of Language)

Law in the Courts of Love traces the literary history and diversity of past legal systems. These minor jurisprudences range from the spiritual laws of the courts of conscience to the code and judgements of love handed down by women's courts in medieval France. Peter Goodrich presents the 15th Century Courts of Love in Paris as one instance of an alternative jurisdiction drawn from the diversities of the legal and literary past. These studies trace certain boundaries of modern law and make up one of many forms of legal knowledge which escape today's vision of unitary law. Law in the Courts of Love shows how the historical diversity of forms and procedures of law can competently form the basis for critical revisions of contemporary legal doctrine and professional practice.