Minimum Contract Justice: A Capabilities Perspective on Sweatshops and Consumer Contracts

Erscheinungsjahr 2017
ISBN: 978-1-78225-709-7
Verlag: HART PUB

Buch, Englisch, 176 Seiten, Hardback, Format (B × H): 157 mm x 236 mm, Gewicht: 408 g

The collapse of the Rana Plaza in Bangladesh (2013) is one of many cases to invoke critical scrutiny and moral outrage regarding the conditions under which consumer goods sold on our markets are produced elsewhere. In spite of abiding moral concerns, these goods remain popular and consumers continue to buy them. Such transactions for goods made under deplorable production conditions are usually presumed to count as 'normal' market transactions, ie transactions that are recognized as valid consumer-contracts under the rules of contract law.

Minimum Contract Justice challenges this presumption of normality. It explores the question of how theories of justice bear on such consumer contracts; how should a society treat a transaction for a good made under deplorable conditions elsewhere? This Book defends the position that a society that strives to be minimally just should not lend its power to enforce, support, or encourage transactions that are incompatible with the ability of others elsewhere to live decent human lives. As such, the book introduces a new perspective on the legal debate concerning deplorable production conditions that has settled around ideas of corporate responsibility, and the pursuit of international labour rights.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Len, Lyn K. L. Tjon Soei

Fachgebiete

• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Spezielle Soziologie Rechtssoziologie
• Rechtswissenschaften Recht, Rechtswissenschaft Allgemein Rechtssoziologie, Rechtspsychologie, Rechtslinguistik

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1. Minimum Contract Justice: Context and Outline

I. The Questions in a Broader Context

II. Tracing Developments in European Contract Law

III. Market Conduct in Europe in a Global Setting
IV. Outline

2. Minimum Contract Justice: A Capabilities Approach

I. The Development of the Capabilities Concept and Capabilities Perspectives on Justice

II. A Capabilities Based Approach to Minimum Justice

III. Contract Law and the Responsibility Bearing Structure of Society

3. Sweatshops and Consumer Contracts

I. Sweatshops

II. Context: Sweatshops in the Garment Industry

III. The Debate on the Moral Status of Sweatshops

IV. Sweatshops as Contractual Externalities?

4. The Potential Frontiers of Contract Justice: A Sweatshop Case Study

I. Contractual Immorality and its Potential Frontiers

II. Methodology

5. Contractual Immorality in Europe

I. European Instruments of Contract Law

II. The Netherlands

III. Germany

IV. France

V. England

VI. Comparative Conclusions

6. Conclusion

I. A Ranking of Contractual Regimes Based on Minimum Contract Justice

II. A Way Forward

Über Autor(innen)

Len, Lyn K. L. Tjon Soei
Lyn K L Tjon Soei Len is an Assistant Professor of Law and International Feminist Studies in the Women's Studies Program at the University of New Hampshire and a researcher at the Law School, University of Amsterdam.