Pursuing Justice

An Introduction to Justice Studies

Edited by Margot Hurlbert

This book is about justice: its definition, its boundaries, its contradictions, its nuances. It is also about pursuing justice and the mechanisms and practices that enable this pursuit. But justice is a tricky topic — just defining it is daunting. There are diverse and competing philosophies about what justice is, as well as several theoretical approaches to justice studies. Adding to the complexity, justice is played out within many social contexts and issues: the Canadian justice system, the environment (including climate change), the perspective of women (including their contact with the criminal justice system), the law surrounding equality, paid labour , poverty, the marginalization and colonization of Aboriginal people and the oppression of racial minorities. Pursuing Justice problematizes the notion of justice through an exploration of these contexts and issues, all while defining and pursuing the illusive notion of justice in Canadian society. Adopting a three-pronged approach that distinguishes between formal justice, substantive justice and ethical practice, Pursuing Justice offers a multidisciplinary exploration of a breadth of issues related to the pursuit of social justice, legal justice and restorative justice. Each chapter contains questions, case studies and a glossary. Pursuing Justice is essential reading for everyone interested in law, justice, human rights, criminology, peacebuilding and restorative justice.

Contents

• Part 1 – Framing Justice (Margot A. Hurlbert)
• Defining Justice (Jim Mulvale)
• Theorizing Justice (Margot A. Hurlbert)
• Part 2 – Social Justice (Margot A. Hurlbert)
• Social Justice, Stratification and Oppression (Loretta Gerlach)
• Poverty, Economic Security and Justice (James Mulvale)
• Social Exclusion, Social Justice and Racism (Lisa Comeau)
• Women and (In)Justice (Gillian Balfour)
• Environmental Justice (Margot A. Hurlbert)
• Part 3 – Legal Justice (Margot A. Hurlbert)
• Human Rights (Margot A. Hurlbert)
• Equality (Marilou McPhedran)
• Law and Justice (Margot A. Hurlbert)
• The Criminal Justice System in Canada (Nicholas A. Jones & Allan L. Patenaude)
• Part 4 – Pursuing Justice (Margot A. Hurlbert)
• Restorative Justice (Margot A. Hurlbert & Hirsch Greenberg)

About the Author

Margot A. Hurlbert is an associate professor jointly appointed to the Department of Justice Studies and the Department of Sociology and Social Studies at the University of Regina.