Interconnected Law is an approach to law based on interconnection, care, nurture, community and love. This homepage gives an overview, with articles to be found on the Articles page. If you would like a pointer, I would suggest either the introductory article or a longer piece written for openDemocracy.
Interconnected Law rejects the current individualistic paradigm dominant in law, replacing it with an approach to law based on the fact of human interconnection. We live in a dense web of relationships — close social relationships, neighbours and acquaintances, communities and broader society, economic and employment relationships, political relations, and ecological relations with the rest of Nature and the world around us. Law should focus on this web of relationships instead of just on individuals.
Beyond just recognising these relationships, and being based on interconnection instead of individualism, law should work to improve them. The purpose of law could be to foster these relationships which create and sustain us, and empower everyone in the society. We should transition to legal systems which are based on human interconnection, look at relationships instead of individuals, and help us live harmoniously with the rest of nature, including rights of Nature and values like sustainability core to law.
This is looking towards a radical change in our social, economic, political and legal systems. Law alone cannot solve the crises we face, and we also need radical changes to our economic system, our political system, and our society. Our entire value system and worldview needs to change, but law must be part of this change, and is a part which so far has not received all that much attention. That’s what this website is about.
So far, this project and writings has been the work of one person in their free time, building on and weaving together work they have read during and since their law degrees. While the general idea and direction of travel is mapped out, there is much more work to be done, such as practical examples and examples of legal scholarship in particular domains within the same paradigm.
If you would like to discuss these ideas further, join the mailing list, or make any contribution to realising this idea, please do get in touch.