THE HUMAN RIGHTS LEAGUE – MASTERCLASS 2015

When the judge is no longer present How science-fiction cinema represents the judge Justice has always been a big theme in the science-fiction universe, especially in movies about a dystopian future. Strangely enough, we hardly ever see a judge in these kinds of films. What does a society looks like when there are no judges? What happens when the judge is replaced by a computer or a robot? Or when the government chooses to outsource the legal system to a private contractor? Or even when society blindly trusts a technology that can prevent crime? Whether it’s about societies reverting to a more primitive state or driven by technological progress, science-fiction shows us a broad view of possible futures and questions our systems of justice.  From Judge Dredd to Minority Report, the Human Rights League will try to understand through film why future societies no longer see any use for judges. It’ll make us realize how fast things are already changing now and how our society isn’t that far removed from a dystopian vision of the world.  Host : Julien Pieret, assistant professor – Centre for Public Justice (ULB) and a member of the Human Rights League.