Law and Development

Law and development (L&D) is a dynamic academic and policy field. Since the second half of the twentieth century, anthropologists, lawyers, economists, and political scientists have taken a special interest in L&D. Due to such multidisciplinary engagement and its dynamism, L&D is at once a field or discipline of inquiry, an approach or way of thinking, a phenomenon to be observed, and a funding device to be deployed in development practice. In this chapter, by going beyond the conventional narratives of L&D studies, the authors examine the idea of development and law, along with their interactions in the context of L&D at national and international levels. This comprehensive investigation shows the deeper theoretical, political, ideological, and legal perspectives that underpin and structure the scholarship, policy, and practice of law and development. The chapter then critically reviews the three moments of L&D, which have their distinct common features, and suggest why L&D should contribute more actively to forming concepts of development, rather than building on current understandings. Additionally, while the authors recognize that L&D has had a particular association with the development agenda of ‘developing’ countries, they argue that it may also be applied to the ‘developed’ on a range of issues, such as reducing inequality and ensuring sustainable development.