On the Relationship between Judicial Empathy and the Integrity of Judges

Stępień, Mateusz

Abstract

This paper dwells on the relationship between judicial empathy and integrity. It claims that for the emergence and proper functioning of judicial empathy as a kind of judicial virtue, a number of conditions needed to be fulfilled, including the development of judicial integrity. The paper aims to unpack this argument and to demonstrate judicial empathy and integrity in action as exemplified particularly by judicial behaviour observed during empirical research in Cracow lower courts. The overall perspective for examining the relationship between judicial empathy and integrity rests on the developmental vision of a judge. Although the presented research fits into the broader interest in judicial empathy and judicial virtues, the paper contains concrete examples of verbal and non-verbal behaviours of a judge that demonstrate how judicial empathy co-functions with other skills and virtues. In general, the paper opposes the marginalisation of judicial skills and virtues.

Keywords

judicial empathy (1)integrity of judges (1)judicial virtues (1)development of judges (1)

References

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APA style

Stępień, Mateusz (2021). On the Relationship between Judicial Empathy and the Integrity of Judges. (2021). On the Relationship between Judicial Empathy and the Integrity of Judges. Krytyka Prawa. Niezależne Studia Nad Prawem, 13(3), 98-113. https://doi.org/10.7206/kp.2080-1084.474 (Original work published 10/2021AD)

MLA style

Stępień, Mateusz. “On The Relationship Between Judicial Empathy And The Integrity Of Judges”. 10/2021AD. Krytyka Prawa. Niezależne Studia Nad Prawem, vol. 13, no. 3, 2021, pp. 98-113.

Chicago style

Stępień, Mateusz. “On The Relationship Between Judicial Empathy And The Integrity Of Judges”. Krytyka Prawa. Niezależne Studia Nad Prawem, Krytyka Prawa. Niezależne Studia nad Prawem, 13, no. 3 (2021): 98-113. doi:10.7206/kp.2080-1084.474.

Copyright info

CC-BY

[1] Archer A., Integrity and the Value of an Integrated Self, “Journal of Value Inquiry” 2017, 51. [Google Scholar]

[2] Bednarek G.A., Polish vs. American Courtroom Discourse: Inquisitorial and Adversarial Procedures of Witness Examination in Criminal Trials, Basingstoke 2014. [Google Scholar]

[3] Bergman Blix S., Different Roads to Empathy: Stage Actors and Judges as Polar Cases, Emotions and Society, 2019, No. 1(2). [Google Scholar]

[4] Bloom R.M., Judicial Integrity: A Call for Its Re-Emergence in the Adjudication of Criminal Cases, “The Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology” 1993, Vol. 3. [Google Scholar]

[5] Booth T., Family Violence and Judicial Empathy: Managing Personal Cross Examination in Australian Family Law Proceedings, “Oñati Socio-Legal Series” 2019, 9(5). [Google Scholar]

[6] Colby T.B, In Defense of Judicial Empathy, “Minnesota Law Review” 2012, 96. [Google Scholar]

[7] Coplan A., Goldie P. (eds.), Empathy: Philosophical and Psychological Perspectives, Oxford 2011. [Google Scholar]

[8] Cox D., Levine M., La Caze M., Integrity and the Fragile Self, Aldershot 2003. [Google Scholar]

[9] Dudek M., Stępień M., Courtroom Power Distance Dynamics, Cham 2021. [Google Scholar]

[10] Durham R., Lawson R., Lord A., Baird V., Seeing Is Believing: The Northumbria Court Observers Panel, Newcastle 2017. [Google Scholar]

[11] Eriksen A., What Is Professional Integrity? “Etikk i praksis. Nordic Journal of Applied Ethics” 2015, 9(2). [Google Scholar]

[12] Fissell B., Modern Critiques of Judicial Empathy: A Revised Intellectual History, “Michigan State Law Review” 2016. [Google Scholar]

[13] Frank J., Are Judges Human? Part 1: The Effect on Legal Thinking of the Assumption That Judges Behave Like Human Beings, “University of Pennsylvania Law Review” 1931, 80. [Google Scholar]

[14] Gallacher I., Thinking Like Non-Lawyers: Why Empathy Is a Core Lawyering Skill and Why Legal Education Should Change to Reflect Its Importance, “College of Law Faculty Scholarship” 2012, 6. [Google Scholar]

[15] Gascón-Cuenca A., Ghitti C., Malzani F., Acknowledging the Relevance of Empathy in Clinical Legal Education: Some Proposals from the Experience of the University of Brescia (IT) and Valencia (ESP), “International Journal of Clinical Legal Education” 2018, 25. [Google Scholar]

[16] Glynn A.N., Sen M., Identifying Judicial Empathy: Does Having Daughters Cause Judges to Rule for Women’s Issues? “American Journal of Political Science” 2015, 59. [Google Scholar]

[17] Hochschild A., Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right, New York 2016. [Google Scholar]

[18] Ingold T., Beyond Art and Technology: The Anthropology of Skill, [in:] M.B. Schiffer (ed.), Anthropological Perspectives on Technology, Albuquerque 2013. [Google Scholar]

[19] Ingold T., The Perception of the Environment: Essays on Livelihood, Dwelling and Skill, London 2001. [Google Scholar]

[20] Ingold T., Prospect, [in:] T. Ingold, G. Palsson (eds.), Biosocial Becomings: Integrating Social and Biological Anthropology, Cambridge 2013. [Google Scholar]

[21] Kind A., Empathy, Imagination and the Law, [in:] A. Amaya, M. del Mar (eds.), Virtue, Emotion and Imagination in Law and Legal Reasoning, Oxford 2020. [Google Scholar]

[22] Lanzoni S., Empathy: A History, New Haven 2018. [Google Scholar]

[23] Maibom H. (ed.), Empathy and Morality, Oxford 2014. [Google Scholar]

[24] Maroń G., Integralność religijna sędziego oraz argumentacja religijna w amerykańskim procesie orzeczniczym, Rzeszów 2018. [Google Scholar]

[25] Pritchard M.S., Professional Integrity: Thinking Ethically, Lawrence 2006. [Google Scholar]

[26] Rosenberg J.D., Teaching Empathy in Law School, “University of San Francisco Law Review”, 2002, No. 36(3). [Google Scholar]

[27] Ryan A., Comparative Procedural Traditions: Poland’s Journey From Socialist to ‘Adversarial’ System, “The International Journal of Evidence & Proof” 2016, 20(4). [Google Scholar]

[28] Scherkoske G., Could Integrity Be an Epistemic Virtue? “International Journal of Philosophical Studies” 2012, 20(2). [Google Scholar]

[29] Segal E., Social Empathy: The Art of Understanding Others, New York 2018. [Google Scholar]

[30] Skuczyński P., Integralność, [in:] H. Izdebski, P. Skuczyński (eds.), Etyka zawodów prawniczych. Etyka prawnicza, Warszawa 2006. [Google Scholar]

[31] Soeharno J., The Integrity of the Judge: A Philosophical Inquiry, Aldershot 2009. [Google Scholar]

[32] Stępień M. The Three Stages of Judges’ Self–Development, [in:] A. Amaya, Hock Lai Ho (eds.), Virtue, Law, and Justice, Oxford 2013. [Google Scholar]

[33] Stępień M., Sprawności prawne – pomiędzy „umysłem” a „działaniem”: Ku ekologicznemu ujęciu świadomości prawnej, [in:] M. Dudek, K. Struzińska (eds.), Świadomościowy wymiar prawa, Kraków 2017. [Google Scholar]

[34] West R., The Anti-emphatic Turn, “Nomos” 2013, 53. [Google Scholar]

[35] Winick B.J., Therapeutic Jurisprudence and Problem-Solving Courts, “Fordham Urban Law Journal” 2002–2003, 30. [Google Scholar]

[36] Zaki J., Empathy: A Motivated Account, “Psychological Bulletin” 2014, 140(6). [Google Scholar]

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