Nomi Dave (University of Virginia), Fictions of Hearing in the Law

The law often seeks to keep sound contained and fixed, but sound has a way of leaking out. From the acoustic design of courtrooms to rules of evidence and norms of decorum in trial, the law determines what should be heard and what should not, in legal process as well as in everyday life. Sound can be an evanescent and unruly object, however, evading or penetrating our ears in unexpected ways. As a result, the law applies what I refer to as fictions of hearing – assumptions, ideas, and rules about sound that aim to manage it, but don’t always succeed. Through three examples, I show how such fictions of hearing clash with the human perception of sound. These examples reveal the limitations of legal imagination and understanding of sound and listening.

Chair: James Campbell, LHub & The University of Oxford.

Speaker: Nomi Dave is Associate Professor of Music at the University of Virginia, where she founded and co-directs the Sound Justice Lab. Her work explores sound, listening, and the law. Current projects include a book and co-produced documentary film on women’s testimony in struggles for sexual justice in the Republic of Guinea. Nomi is a former lawyer with experience in Guinea and the U.S.

Discussant:  Dr Danilo Mandic is Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of Westminster. His work is situated within the intersections of law and humanities, with a particular interest in the processes of knowledge formation. Danilo’s research interests include copyright law, art law, law and sound, law and technology, aesthetics of law, sound studies, and popular culture. He is a Course Leader of the LLM Entertainment Law. Danilo is also co-editors of the Law and the Senses series published by University of Westminster Press (2018-23).

The paper will be pre-circulated to registered participants. 

This event is free to attend, but booking is required.