Forever Composed of Nows

This book celebrates the career of Jeanne Gaakeer, professor emerita of legal theory, with a focus on narrative jurisprudence and Law and Humanities. The centerpiece of this volume is Jeanne Gaakeer’s farewell lecture in which she puts forward a compelling argument for the need to view law hermeneutically. This is not merely a theoretical proposition, hermeneutics is also a practical need of the art of judging. A narrative understanding of judicial practices is crucial to bring justice to people confronted with the law. The lecture showcases the insights she gained in her two roles of practicing judge and academic. In this volume, Jeanne Gaakeer’s arguments are given further depth and context by the responses and explorations of colleagues in the field of law and humanities. The essays elaborate on four different themes that are central to Jeanne Gaakeer’s career: the hermeneutical and ethical understanding of legal practices, the narrative character of law, conceptual development in law and humanities and the challenges of interdisciplinary work. The essays demonstrate the profound influence of Jeanne Gaakeer’s ideas and highlight how they inspire creative conversations between people and texts.