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The Middlemen: The Legal Profession, the Rule of Law, and Authoritarian Regimes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 December 2018

Maciej Kisilowski
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Abstract

Scholars are increasingly interested in exploring ways to strengthen the rule of law in authoritarian states—especially when deeper political reforms are not attainable. The article contributes to this discussion by revisiting the story of the emergence of the so‐called socialist legality in the communist states of Eastern Europe. Using the historical record from Poland, the author demonstrates a previously unnoticed, yet pivotal, role of legal professionals in facilitating socialist legality's rise to prominence. Using the lenses of Pierre Bourdieu's theory of fields, the article chronicles the evolving dynamic between the legal profession, the authoritarian regime, and society. These observations challenge conventional explanations of the emergence of the rule of law in nondemocratic conditions.

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Articles
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Law & Social Inquiry , Volume 40 , Issue 3 , Summer 2015 , pp. 700 - 722
Copyright
Copyright © American Bar Foundation, 2015 

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References

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