Border Protection in Law's Empire: Feminist Explorations of Access to Justice

Abstract

This lecture examines the various 'border protection' mechanisms which continue to limit women's access to justice. My research in areas such as sexual harassment, domestic violence, family law, pay equity, sex discrimination, legal aid and the legal profession has shown that legal procedures, practices and cultures restrict the effectiveness of feminist law reforms. As a result, acceptance into law remains a gendered experience. I argue for greater critical attention to the operations of law in practice, in order to identify exclusionary processes, question assumptions about the availability of justice, and maintain pressure for a more inclusive legal order.