Posted: June 19th, 2015

To what extent are social and legal norms around‘ harm’ and‘ consent’shaped by sex, gender, racial and class hierarchies? Critically discuss with reference to both theoretical perspectives and empirical examples.

To what extent are social and legal norms around‘ harm’ and‘ consent’shaped by sex, gender, racial and class hierarchies? Critically discuss with reference to both theoretical perspectives and empirical examples.

Order Description

R v Brown [1994] AC 212 [Note: R v Brown is quite a long judgment. If short on time, please read at least the comments of Lord Templeman and Lord Mustill.]
R v Wilson [1997] QB 47
R. v. J.A., 2011 SCC 28
Deckha, Maneesha (2011) ‘Pain as Culture: A Postcolonial Feminist Approach to S/M and Women’s Agency’, Sexualities 14 (2): 129-150.
Two other cases of interest:
McNally v R. [2013] EWCA Crim 1051 (27 June 2013) – Case on disclosure of gender identity / transgender status as related to sexual consent. http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Crim/2013/1051.html
D Borough Council v AB (Rev 1) [2011] EWHC 101 (COP) (28 January 2011) – Court of Protection case on decisions regarding intellectual disability / mental capacity as related to sexual consent. http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/COP/2011/101.html
Recommended Reading:
Moran, Leslie J. (1995) ‘Violence and the Law: The Case of Sado- Masochism’, Social & Legal Studies 4 (2): 225-251.
Weait, Matthew and Rosemary Hunter (2010) ‘R V Brown Commentary’, pp. 241-246 in R. Hunter, Mcglynn, C. & Rackley, E. (eds), Feminist Judgements: From Theory to Practice. Oxford, Hart Publishing.**
Mackenzie, Robin (2010) ‘R v Brown Judgment’, pp. 247-254 in R. Hunter, Mcglynn, C. & Rackley, E. (eds), Feminist Judgements: From Theory to Practice. Oxford, Hart Publishing.**
**Note: The two above readings by Weait and Hunter and Mackenzie are from the Feminist Judgments Project, which you may find of interest. The project involves feminists rewriting existing legal judgments to show how the outcomes might have differed using a feminist perspective. See: http://www.kent.ac.uk/law/fjp/
Further Background Materials on the Cases:
SpannerTrust Website: http://www.spannertrust.org/
Gender, Sexuality & Criminal Justice 23 Course Handbook 2014/15
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LEAF (Canadian Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund) (2011)’No Consent to Sex When A Woman is Unconscious’ Available at: http://www.leaf.ca/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/2011-05- 27JAJudgmentRelease1.html Last accessed 1 August 2014.
Symons, Maryellen (2011) ‘The Supreme Court of Canada on Advance Consent to Unconscious Sexual Activity’ Feminist Legal Analysis 18:1. Available online: http://www.cba.org/CBA/newsletters- sections/2012/PrintHTML.aspx?DocId=47245#article5 Last accessed 1 August 2014.
Marcus, Joseph (2011) ‘R. v J.A.: An Uncomfortable Truth’ Available online: http://www.thecourt.ca/2011/06/16/r-v-j-a-an-uncomfortable-truth/ Last accessed 1 August 2014.
Further Reading:
Ardill, S. and O’Sullivan, S. (2005) ‘Upsetting an applecart: difference, desire and lesbian sadomasochism’, Feminist Review, 80(1), pp. 98-126.
Bamforth, N. (1994). ‘Sado-masochism and consent’, Criminal Law Review 661-664.
Chancer, L. (1982) From pornography to sadomasochism: reconciling feminist differences. Pp 79-93 in Linden, R.R. et al (eds) Against sadomasochism: a radical feminist analysis. East Palo Alto, CA: Frog in the Well.
Chancer, L. (1992) Sadomasochism in everyday life. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.
Conaghan, J. (2002) ‘Law, harm and redress: a feminist perspective. Legal Studies’, 22/3: 319-339.
Hanna, C. (2001) ‘Sex is not a sport: consent and violence in the criminal law’, Boston College Law Review 42: 239-290
Harvard Law Review. (1968) Note: Assault and battery—consent of masochist to beating by sadist is no defense to prosecution for aggravated assault. 81 Harvard Law Review, pp. 1339-1342.
Hoople, T. (1996) ‘Conflicting visions: SM, feminism and the law.’ Canadian Journal of Law and Society 11(1): 177-220.
Moran, Leslie J. (1998) ‘Laskey V the United Kingdom: Learning the Limits of Privacy’, Modern Law Review 61 (1): 77-84.
Superson, A. (2005) Deformed desires and informed desire tests. Hypatia, 20(4):109-126.
Weait, M.J. (1996) ‘Fleshing it out’, pp 160-175 in L. Flynn and L. Bentley (eds) Law and the Senses. London: Pluto Press.
Weait, M.J. (2005) Harm, consent and the limits of privacy. Feminist Legal Studies 13(1): 97-122.
?????Gender, Sexuality & Criminal Justice 24 Course Handbook 2014/15

Walklate, Sandra (2008) ‘What is to be Done about Violence Against Women? Gender, violence, cosmopolitanism and the law’, British Journal of Criminology 48(1) 39-54.
Ritchie, B. (2012) Arrested Justice: Black Women, Violence and America’s Prison Nation. New York and London: New York University Press.

send the outline draft by Wednesday so i can show it to professor.on this topic.
(( To what extent are social and legal norms around’ harm’and‘consent’shaped by sex, gender, racial and class hierarchies? Critically discuss with reference to both theoretical perspectives and empirical examples.))