Ruth Herz (School of History): "The Art of Justice: The Judges' Perspective"

In my talk I present a unique and intriguing collection of drawings of courtroom scenes. Entering the courtroom in his robe Judge Pierre Cavellat literally had a secret up his sleeve. Hidden in it were pens and pencils he used to draw the scenes unfolding in front of him. In 1634 the famous British jurist remarked that we see the judges move like lions but do not see what moves them. The vivid uncensored images may provide a key to this lasting enigma. They give an unprecedented insight into how a judge perceives his profession and the institution of justice as a whole. They also reveal the deeply hidden emotions, ambiguities and fantasies of a judge going about his work. I interpret the images through the lens of my own judicial experience and explore how judges think and act and how this is constructed through our education and training thereby exposing how personal background, history and experience play a role in ‘judgecraft’.