Law in popular belief

In recent years there has been a significant growth in interest of the so-called 'law in context' extending legal studies beyond black letter law. This book looks at the relationship between statute law and legal practice. It examines how law is applied in <i>reality </i>and more precisely how law is <i>perceived</i> by the general public in contrast to the legal profession. The authors look at a number of themes that are central to examining ways in which myths about law are formed and how there is inevitably a constitutive power aspect to this myth making. At the same time they explore to what extent law itself creates and sustains myths. The book will be of general interest to a number of different disciplines such as legal theory general law criminology and sociology.