'In every field of law and legal practice, the law itself is gendered. That is to say, that the law-whether developed through the courts, under common law, or enacted in legislative provisions, reflects the gender of those who have created it: men.'

The first 200 words of this essay...

GENDER ESSAY. 992652614.

'In every field of law and legal practice, the law itself is gendered. That is to say, that the law-whether developed through the courts, under common law, or enacted in legislative provisions, reflects the gender of those who have created it: men.'

Introduction

Does this represent a fair assessment of today's position? I believe that it does. I shall

explore this observation by breaking down the key components of feminist

jurisprudence and highlighting my assertion with a broader examination of the

patriarchal nature of the criminal law. Among other abundant areas of law, criminal

law has evolved from a male perspective and continues to uphold this hegemony.1

I shall present documented theories of why domestic abuse occurs from the

perspective that each doctrine presupposes a weakness in the character of the victim.

The central focus in this essay takes the form of a critique of the criminal defences

available to battered women2 who kill their abusive partners. I contend that it is also

necessary to approach the area of reform. Is it possible in our contemporary