Contents Welcome to the annual SLSA Conference 2007..........................................................................................................5 Welcome from the Chair of the SLSA ......................................................................................................5 Vice Chancellor’s Welcome.........................................................................................................................5 Sponsorship......................................................................................................................................................6 Exhibitors..........................................................................................................................................................6 Registration & General Information..................................................................................................................................7 Registration ......................................................................................................................................................7 Accommodation and Session Venues ........................................................................................................7 Meals/Breaks ....................................................................................................................................................7 Access to Internet and Newspapers..........................................................................................................8 Enquiries & Emergency Contact..................................................................................................................8 Medical Centre/ Emergency Medical Care ...............................................................................................8 Map/Floor Plan.................................................................................................................................................9 Transport....................................................................................................................................................... 11 Local Bus Service .................................................................................................................................... 11 Local Taxi Services ................................................................................................................................. 11 Parking ....................................................................................................................................................... 11 Sports/Leisure Activities............................................................................................................................. 11 Sports Centre.......................................................................................................................................... 11 Swimming Pool ........................................................................................................................................ 11 Blean Woods ........................................................................................................................................... 12 Crab & Winkle Way............................................................................................................................... 12 Restaurants off Campus ........................................................................................................................ 12 Acknowledgements..............................................................................................................................................................13 Conference Programme.....................................................................................................................................................14 Conference overview ................................................................................................................................. 14 Plenary Sessions ........................................................................................................................................... 15 SLSA Annual General Meeting.................................................................................................................. 15 Streams and Panels...................................................................................................................................... 16 Traditional streams and panels............................................................................................................ 16 Keyword related streams and panels................................................................................................. 16 Special Panels ........................................................................................................................................... 17 Social Events.................................................................................................................................................. 18 Tour of Canterbury................................................................................................................................ 18 Feminist Legal Studies Quiz.................................................................................................................. 18 Conference Dinner................................................................................................................................. 18 Abstracts in alphabetical order........................................................................................................................................19 Notes.....................................................................................................................................................................................100 Welcome to the annual SLSA Conference 2007 Welcome from the Chair of the SLSA On behalf of the SLSA I am very pleased to welcome you to the 2007 conference hosted by Kent Law School. The Law School at Kent prides itself on being both lively and innovative and the organising committee has worked hard to ensure that our conference in Canterbury lives up to that reputation. We have two plenary sessions presented by eminent socio-legal scholars, papers have been organised either by keywords or by streams providing what should be a good mix of the familiar and the provocative, and there is a variety of social events ensuring that even the most demanding delegate is kept fully occupied. Please make the most of the opportunities provided by the conference and enjoy yourselves. The organisers have asked me to thank on their behalf: - the stream leaders who have been asked to do things differently this year and have responded with good grace, - the sponsors without whom we would not have a conference and who have been particularly generous this year, - and, for the magnificent support they have received, the fantastic administrative team of Katrin Steinack, Sarah Slowe, Liz Cable and Frances Pritchard. Professor Sally Wheeler Chair of the Socio-Legal Studies Association Vice Chancellor’s Welcome On behalf of the University of Kent and on behalf of Kent Law School I am very pleased to welcome you to our Canterbury campus. It seems particularly appropriate that the Law School is hosting such a prestigious and dynamic conference in 2007 in the Law School’s 40 th year. It was founded with a mission to provide something distinct and valuable in legal education. It has always prided itself on its lively and innovative approach to the law and on combining an international reputation with regionally strong identity. It has carved out an important international role at the forefront of critical, socio-legal and feminist legal studies. We are proud of many of the law school’s achievements, perhaps most notably the AHRC centre for law gender and sexuality (and our links with our partner institutions of Westminster and Keele) and our Law Clinic led by John Fitzpatrick whose services to legal education have been recognised in his award of an OBE. However we are even more proud that our law graduates tell us time and time again how much they enjoyed their time at Kent and how their legal education here has enriched their lives. I have no doubt that you too will enjoy your time here and take away good memories, new ideas and new friendships. Thank you very much for coming and I wish you all the best for a successful conference. Professor David Melville Vice-Chancellor University of Kent 5 Sponsorship Kent Law School and the SLSA are delighted to thank the following organisations for their generous donations to the SLSA Conference 2007: The Department for Constitutional Affairs for their donation towards the conference dinner, in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the DCA Research Unit Feminist Legal Studies for sponsoring the evening quiz on 3rd April The Journal of Law and Society for sponsorship of the Plenary Session on ‘Homelessness and the delusions of property' The Journal of Law and Society for their generous donation to cover the costs of the Dinner Entertainment, Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group for sponsoring the Pre-Dinner Drinks on 4th April The University of Kent for sponsoring the Wine Reception on 3rd April We additionally would like to thank the Blackwell Bookshop on Campus which has agreed to give a 10% discount on all books bought in store throughout the duration of the conference when presenting the delegate’s badge. Exhibitors We