Publication Date

Spring 1997

Journal

University of Toronto Law Journal

Abstract

Peter Goodrich's Oedipus Lex critically examines the English common law tradition through a psychoanalytic lens, revealing a 'legal unconscious' that underscores deep-seated repressions and contradictions. He argues that common law has historically attempted to exclude imagery and the feminine, yet these elements persist, leading to internal conflicts. By analyzing historical legal texts from the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods, Goodrich exposes violent rhetoric against enemies of the common law, such as Catholics and women, highlighting the law's struggle with its own unconscious structures.

Volume

47

Issue

2

First Page

281

Last Page

294

Publisher

University of Toronto Press

Disciplines

Courts | Law | Legal History

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