Complicit masculinity of judges: Unjust provocation mitigation in femicide in Turkey

Eylem Ümit Atılgan

doi:10.35295/osls.iisl.2086

Authors

Eylem Ümit Atılgan University of Near East/Kyrenia University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0807-4579

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35295/osls.iisl.2086

Keywords:

Feminist Legal Theory, femicide, masculinity, legal culture, socio-legal studies

Abstract

The paper focuses on how unjust provocation reduction, regulated in Article 29 of the Turkish Penal Code, is applied in cases of violence against women, LGBTI, and transgender individuals in Turkey, also known as "masculinity sentence reduction" by feminist lawyers. In particular, I will look into case files in which the "masculinity defence" made by almost all perpetrators in femicide cases is accepted by the court as a justification for reducing the sentence of the perpetrator. I will examine how masculinity is portrayed in judicial decisions, specifically looking at provocation defences to demonstrate how jurisdiction plays a part in perpetuating masculine domination within society. Using theories of masculinity and masculine domination, I will try to reveal the contribution of judges to the "masculine legal culture" as a form of "complicit masculinity".

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Author Biography

Eylem Ümit Atılgan, University of Near East/Kyrenia University

Eylem Ümit Atılgan holds a PhD from the Philosophy and Sociology of Law Department of Ankara University Law Faculty. She received Philosophy and Sociology of Law associate professorship from Turkish Interuniversity Board (ÜAK) in 2015 . She has worked as a visiting scholar at Humboldt, Turin, and Macerata Universities, and has conducted studies on legal culture and feminist legal theory. She is the Vice Dean of the University of Kyrenia Law Faculty, as well as a full-time associate professor at both Kyrenia and Near East University. Email: eylem.atilgan@neu.edu.tr

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