Droit et Cultures (Oct 2007)
La cour d’assises. Approche ethnologique du judiciaire
Abstract
The following article aims at highlighting the scientific and methodological approach of my dissertation in social sciences, An ethnography of the court of assizes. The construction of conviction. This is an original study from an ethnographic point of view, dealing with the legal field and more specifically with the French Criminal Court. Which criteria legitimate such an angle? The specificities of hearings in a criminal court are mainly the oral character of debates, the civilian jury and the certainties of each individual. These are anthropological features making the legal field an interesting subject for an ethnological study and this is actually the very substance of the hearings which justifies the interest of the research.
