Expressive function of law

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The expressive function of law is the effect of law to create or validate social norms beyond the fear of punishment. For example, the criminalization of homosexuality may be maintained in order to express disapproval of homosexuality, even if it is not regularly enforced.

See also

• Unenforced law, a law which is formally in effect, but is usually not penalized by a jurisdiction
• Victimless crime, an illegal act which harms only the perpetrator(s)

References

1. ^ McGinn, Thomas A. (2015). "The Expressive Function of Law and the Lex Imperfecta". Roman Legal Tradition. 11: 1.
2. ^ Funk, P. (2007). "Is There An Expressive Function of Law? An Empirical Analysis of Voting Laws with Symbolic Fines". American Law and Economics Review. 9 (1): 135–159. doi:10.1093/aler/ahm002.
3. ^ Goodman, Ryan (2001). "Beyond the Enforcement Principle: Sodomy Laws, Social Norms, and Social Panoptics". California Law Review. 89: 643–740. doi:10.2307/3481180. JSTOR 3481180.

Further reading

• Arnold, N. Scott (2000). "Postmodern Liberalism and the Expressive Function of Law". Social Philosophy and Policy. 17 (1): 87–109. doi:10.1017/S0265052500002545. S2CID 221536524.
• Dharmapala, D. (2003). "The Condorcet Jury Theorem and the Expressive Function of Law: A Theory of Informative Law". American Law and Economics Association. 5 (1): 1–31. doi:10.1093/aler/5.1.1.
• McAdams, Richard H. (2015). The Expressive Powers of Law: Theories and Limits. Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-96720-5.
• Mullender, Richard (1998). "Racial Harassment, Sexual Harassment, and the Expressive Function of Law". Modern Law Review. 61 (2): 236–244. doi:10.1111/1468-2230.00140.
• Sunstein, Cass R. (1996). "On the Expressive Function of Law". University of Pennsylvania Law Review. 144 (5): 2021–2053. doi:10.2307/3312647. ISSN 0041-9907. JSTOR 3312647. S2CID 145045706.