Laypeople’s Attitudes towards and Experiences with the Law

The law forms a part of every individual’s worldview. It is closely connected to the perceived conduct of those in legal authority, to patterns in popular legal culture, and to wider political developments. Studies on procedural fairness have shown that encounters with judges, police officers, and other legal authorities contribute to shaping laypeople’s views of law. Images of the law in popular legal culture – especially in film and television – tend to foster a classical liberal understanding not only of the law, but also of legal professions and the role of citizens in defending their rights. In mainstream modern thought, the law is predominantly an element of the state. This situation has ramifications in times of political crises, during which the prestige of the law, the courts, and legal professions may suffer. Nevertheless, the very ideal of the law continues to be upheld, and people continue to find themselves in situations in which they need to utilise the law and to work with legal experts.