Listening to the Law Network

This network will run from 2026 to 2028.

Listening to the Law Network

We often think of the law as a set of texts, but law depends on sound — from the gavel striking the block, to testimony and oral argument, to the very notion of the hearing. Sound brings the law to life. Courtrooms are built with strict acoustic guidelines, and rules proliferate about the broadcast of trials. Today, smart phones, virtual assistants, voice biometrics, and other technologies are constantly creating new listening objects for the law. At the same time, the law still struggles to hear certain voices and registers, certain types of music or forms of testimony. Sound produces violence, expresses opposing viewpoints, and registers acts of justice and injustice, but the law does not always hear well. 

This network brings together academics, legal practitioners, and artists thinking through and working on questions of sound and the law. Our key themes relate to 1) sound as evidence; 2) courtroom audibility; and 3) audiovisual technologies and access to justice. 

We will host a range of events, including termly seminars showcasing projects and research activities. 

Network Leads:

·                Nomi Dave, Faculty of Music

·                Tareeq Jalloh, Faculty of Philosophy

·                Nicole Stremlau, Faculty of Law 

To join the network or attend events, please email us at listening.law@torch.ox.ac.uk.