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5 - Legal Mobilization

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 March 2023

Lynette J. Chua
Affiliation:
National University of Singapore
David M. Engel
Affiliation:
State University of New York, Buffalo
Sida Liu
Affiliation:
The University of Hong Kong
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Summary

Legal mobilization refers to the use of law to express claims and desires in order to achieve change or protect interests. It can be carried out by individuals or by a collective of people. Importantly, legal mobilization encompasses more than going to court to litigate disputes, an action that may prove ineffective or even irrelevant in some Asian contexts. In addition to litigation, legal mobilization occurs in other ways, even when an individual or group merely articulates a problem to a confidante in terms of rights or other legal concepts. In Asia, this broader concept of legal mobilization is especially apropos, since so much “legal” activity—broadly construed—takes place far from the justice institutions the state has established. In this chapter, the readings illustrate the range of tactics used by those who mobilize the law to achieve their goals. They also illustrate both the risks and rewards associated with the invocation of legal rights in Asian societies. As the authors make clear, rights can have paradoxical effects, and can simultaneously empower and disempower or stigmatize those who use them. In some instances, however, the results are hugely beneficial to those who felt hopeless in the absence of legal protection.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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  • Legal Mobilization
  • Lynette J. Chua, National University of Singapore, David M. Engel, State University of New York, Buffalo, Sida Liu, The University of Hong Kong
  • Book: The Asian Law and Society Reader
  • Online publication: 02 March 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108864824.006
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To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

  • Legal Mobilization
  • Lynette J. Chua, National University of Singapore, David M. Engel, State University of New York, Buffalo, Sida Liu, The University of Hong Kong
  • Book: The Asian Law and Society Reader
  • Online publication: 02 March 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108864824.006
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Legal Mobilization
  • Lynette J. Chua, National University of Singapore, David M. Engel, State University of New York, Buffalo, Sida Liu, The University of Hong Kong
  • Book: The Asian Law and Society Reader
  • Online publication: 02 March 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108864824.006
Available formats
×