Rational Anger

It is the pervasive presence of anger in criminal courts that best epitomises the emotionality of doing justice. In this brilliant study of four legal systems, Stina Bergman Blix and Nina Törnqvist shed light on the vagaries of this primordial emotion in the courtroom: the paradoxes of substance and formality of justice, moral outrage and judicial restraint, functional rationality and irrationality. This quintessential study is a quantum leap in our understanding of the complex nature of emotions and the law. Susanne Karstedt, Professor in Criminology, Griffith University, Australia A fascinating and highly readable account of the role anger plays in four distinct legal systems. The international comparisons are eye opening! A terrific addition to the literature on the role of emotion in the law. Susan A. Bandes, Centennial Professor of Law Emeritus, DePaul University College of Law, USA This book is a fine piece of research that helps us understand what anger does in our world, revealing that even at the heart of the supposedly rational legal profession, anger can be used to solve problems and make good decisions. Mary Holmes, Professor of Emotions and Society, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom