What are rules for? What is at stake if we assume that they are neutral? And if we want rules to be progressive, does it matter who makes them? Socio-legal scholar Swethaa Ballakrishnen joins Uncommon Sense to reflect on this and more, highlighting the value of studying law not just in theory but in action, and drawing on a career spanning law and academia in India and the USA.
As the author of Accidental Feminism, which explores unintended parity in the Indian legal profession, Swethaa talks to Rosie and Alexis about intention and whether it is always needed for positive outcomes to occur. We also pause to ask: in a society that has been characterised as “post-truth”, does anyone even care about rules anymore? Plus, Swethaa dissects the trope of “neutrality” - firmly embedded in legal discourse, from the idea of “blind justice” to the notion of equality before the law. There are dangers, they explain, to assuming that law is neutral, particularly given that it is often those in power who get to make and extend the rules - something critical race scholars have long been aware of.
Swethaa also fills us in on their recent interest in the TV show Ted Lasso and considers pop culture that speaks to our theme, including the series Made in Heaven and Extraordinary Attorney Woo, plus a short film by Arun Falara.
Guest: Swethaa Ballakrishnen
Hosts: Rosie Hancock, Alexis Hieu Truong
Executive Producer: Alice Bloch
Sound Engineer: David Crackles
Music: Joe Gardner
Artwork: Erin Aniker
Episode resources: doi.org/10.514...
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7 сен 2024
