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The Role of the Judiciary and the Rule of Law - Judicial un-involvement in the wake of the Me Too-Movement

Oskarsson, Louise LU (2018) JURM02 20182
Department of Law
Faculty of Law
Abstract
Publishing rape allegations on social media whilst not involving the administration of justice became a significant phenomenon in the wake of the Me Too-Movement. Exemplified through two prime examples, the judicial un-involvement, arguably a questioning of the assumption that the law is the powerholder in the state, will be claimed to have been a departure from the concept of the Rule of Law.

The Rule of Law, emphasized as crucial in democratic societies and further worthy of protection of defense, transformed states from states of unpredictability and instability to states where people no longer had to obey the unrestrained wills of the men in power. Presenting concepts characterized by the absence of the Rule of Law, the latter will... (More)
Publishing rape allegations on social media whilst not involving the administration of justice became a significant phenomenon in the wake of the Me Too-Movement. Exemplified through two prime examples, the judicial un-involvement, arguably a questioning of the assumption that the law is the powerholder in the state, will be claimed to have been a departure from the concept of the Rule of Law.

The Rule of Law, emphasized as crucial in democratic societies and further worthy of protection of defense, transformed states from states of unpredictability and instability to states where people no longer had to obey the unrestrained wills of the men in power. Presenting concepts characterized by the absence of the Rule of Law, the latter will be deemed the single concept justified to govern a democratic society.

The actions carried out in the wake of the Me Too-Movement will further be discussed in the context of being characterized as significantly unwanted and severe in effect, argued to threaten not only the abovementioned core assumption of the concept of the Rule of Law, but the main protector of it. The argued, worrying trend of judicial un-involvement might, in the long term, have adverse consequences for the Rule of Law. Arguing the actions to be legally unjustifiable, although not denying the legislative imperfections connected to sexual criminality, the protection and defense of the Rule of Law must be emphasized. In the fine balance between the Rule of Law on the one hand, and freedom to voice dissent on the other, it is important to find solutions to legislative imperfections within the Rule of Law, or we risk damaging the system we are seeking to improve. The engagement of the people must continue, to avoid creating mere spectators in the sport of democracy. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Publicerade våldtäktsanklagelser på sociala medier och ett icke-involverat rättsväsende blev karaktäriserande fenomen för Me Too-Rörelsen. Exemplifierat genom två huvudexempel hävdas avsaknaden av judiciell inblandning innebära ett ifrågasättande av antagandet att lagen styr staten, vilket i förlängningen argumenteras utgöra avsteg från Rättsstatsprincipen.

Rättsstatsprincipen framhålls som grundläggande och nödvändig i demokratiska samhällen och vidare värdig skydd och försvar. Principen förändrade stater från stater präglade av oförutsebarhet och instabilitet till stater där människor inte längre behövde underordna sig makthavarnas ohämmade viljor. Genom att belysa koncept definierade utifrån avsaknaden av Rättsstatsprincipen hävdas... (More)
Publicerade våldtäktsanklagelser på sociala medier och ett icke-involverat rättsväsende blev karaktäriserande fenomen för Me Too-Rörelsen. Exemplifierat genom två huvudexempel hävdas avsaknaden av judiciell inblandning innebära ett ifrågasättande av antagandet att lagen styr staten, vilket i förlängningen argumenteras utgöra avsteg från Rättsstatsprincipen.

Rättsstatsprincipen framhålls som grundläggande och nödvändig i demokratiska samhällen och vidare värdig skydd och försvar. Principen förändrade stater från stater präglade av oförutsebarhet och instabilitet till stater där människor inte längre behövde underordna sig makthavarnas ohämmade viljor. Genom att belysa koncept definierade utifrån avsaknaden av Rättsstatsprincipen hävdas det sistnämnda konceptet utgöra det enda legitima alternativet i ett demokratiskt samhälle.

De bevittnade händelserna under Me Too-Rörelsen diskuteras vidare i förhållande till definitionen av att vara avsevärt oönskade, innebärandes allvarliga konsekvenser, vilka i förlängningen inte bara hotar kärnan i Rättsstatsprincipen utan även principens största beskyddare. Den hävdade, bekymmersamma trenden avseende ett icke-involverat rättsväsende kan på lång sikt ha avsevärt negativa konsekvenser för Rättsstaten.

Diskussionen kring huruvida händelserna företagna under Me Too-Rörelsen kan anses juridisk oberättigade föranleder att vikten av Rättsstatsprincipen betonas och därigenom också behovet av att skydda och försvara densamma. I diskussionen är det dock av stor betydelse att bristerna i lagstiftningen gällande sexualbrott inte under några omständigheter förnekas eller förbises. Balansen mellan Rättsstatsprincipen och rätten att kritisera makthavarna är svår, att hitta lösningar på bristerna i lagstiftningen inom Rättsstatsprincipen blir därför av avgörande betydelse där vi annars riskerar vi att skada det system vi söker förbättra. Folkets engagemang och deltagande måste fortsätta för att undvika att skapa blotta observatörer i sporten vi kallar demokrati. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Oskarsson, Louise LU
supervisor
organization
course
JURM02 20182
year
type
H3 - Professional qualifications (4 Years - )
subject
keywords
Jurisprudence, The Rule of Law, Threats to the Rule of Law, Judicial Un-Involvement, The Me Too-Movement, #Metoo, Me-Too Rörelsen, Rättsstatsprincipen.
language
English
id
8966025
date added to LUP
2019-02-02 10:36:33
date last changed
2019-02-02 10:36:33
@misc{8966025,
  abstract     = {{Publishing rape allegations on social media whilst not involving the administration of justice became a significant phenomenon in the wake of the Me Too-Movement. Exemplified through two prime examples, the judicial un-involvement, arguably a questioning of the assumption that the law is the powerholder in the state, will be claimed to have been a departure from the concept of the Rule of Law. 

The Rule of Law, emphasized as crucial in democratic societies and further worthy of protection of defense, transformed states from states of unpredictability and instability to states where people no longer had to obey the unrestrained wills of the men in power. Presenting concepts characterized by the absence of the Rule of Law, the latter will be deemed the single concept justified to govern a democratic society. 

The actions carried out in the wake of the Me Too-Movement will further be discussed in the context of being characterized as significantly unwanted and severe in effect, argued to threaten not only the abovementioned core assumption of the concept of the Rule of Law, but the main protector of it. The argued, worrying trend of judicial un-involvement might, in the long term, have adverse consequences for the Rule of Law. Arguing the actions to be legally unjustifiable, although not denying the legislative imperfections connected to sexual criminality, the protection and defense of the Rule of Law must be emphasized. In the fine balance between the Rule of Law on the one hand, and freedom to voice dissent on the other, it is important to find solutions to legislative imperfections within the Rule of Law, or we risk damaging the system we are seeking to improve. The engagement of the people must continue, to avoid creating mere spectators in the sport of democracy.}},
  author       = {{Oskarsson, Louise}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{The Role of the Judiciary and the Rule of Law - Judicial un-involvement in the wake of the Me Too-Movement}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}