Lawyers, historians, anthropologists and literary scholars draw heavily on the concepts of ‘evidence’, ‘proof’ and ‘truth’ but these crucial terms generally carry distinct and incommensurate meanings for each discipline or professional practice.

The consequences of these differences are more than academic. Divergent understandings of ‘proof and truth’ have serious practical implications when humanists present themselves as expert witnesses in court cases involving vital contemporary issues such as indigenous land ownership, cultural heritage, social policy and legal administration.

With reference to controversial and landmark legal cases, this collection of cross-disciplinary essays probes the convergences and incompatibilities between legal and humanistic understandings, and opens the way for a more constructive and informed courtroom role for experts of all kinds.

Publisher: Australian Academy of the Humanities, 2003
ISBN: 0909897530, 9780909897536
Length: 269 pages

Buy it online

Australia: Angus & Robertson
US: Amazon | Barnes & Noble