The concept of speed in Luhmann’s schemata: The case of the Russian criminal justice
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35295/osls.iisl.1733Keywords:
Criminal Justice, Luhmann, systems theory, speed, Russian studies on courtsAbstract
Notwithstanding Luhmann’s systems theory has a variety of concepts (code, structures, programs, operations, structural couplings, self-irritations, etc.) to analyze the Russian Criminal Justice as a self-referential system, it exhibits some limitations as well. A lack of fully-developed speed concept does not allow the autopoietic approach to adequately describe the Russian Criminal Justice System’s emphasis on the efficiency, which is measured by a high rate of convictions produced within the system per unit of time. Drawing primarily upon intuitions of systems theory itself, this paper reconstructs the speed as a schema for the observation of changes and the number of operations produced within the system per unit of time. At the most abstract level, the speed concept is a prerequisite for observing the rate and tempo of oscillation between sides of distinction per se. Exploiting these theoretical adjustments, it is shown that the Russian Criminal Justice System seeks to increase the rate of oscillation within guiding distinction “legally guilty (non-lawful)”/”legally non-guilty (lawful)”. In so doing, this system condenses most of meanings on the side “legally guilty” (connectivity value), minimizes the horizon of possibilities related to jury trials and due process rights, and decelerates a speed of reverse crossing to the side “legally non-guilty” (reflexive value).
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