The Brothel Boy and Other Parables of the Law

Norval Morris is widely known as one of the foremost experts in the field of criminal law. This work represents the culmination of his thinking about the major criminal law debates of our time - capital punishment, adoption conflicts, the insanity defence, battered wife syndrome and child abuse among others. Morris illustrates these complex and controversial issues through a number of vivid stories set in the colonial Burma of the 1920s. Morris borrows Orwell's persona, Eric Blair, a young district officer placed in the position of being both policemen and judge, to probe questions that animate contemporary legal debate. Morris's use of fiction as a vehicle for legal argument contributes to an exciting trend in legal studies which includes the work of Derrick Bell (AND WE ARE NOT SAVED) and Patricia Williams. Most of the stories have been published in legal journals and have been enthusiastically received by legal scholars. A film featuring Raoul Julia in the role of Eric Blair is being produced by Blaze productions, to be distributed by Warner Brothers. A television series of the eight stories is under consideration.