On the Legal Geography of Ethnocratic Settler States: Notes Towards a Research Agenda

Abstract

Since the ‘Courts of the Conquerors’ appears to have a complex view regarding how native land becomes subject to dispossession, this chapter attempts to look into observations and assumptions about the responsibilities and actions taken by the Supreme Courts and the setting up and maintaining of the geographies of power associated to various settler societies. In attempting to heighten others' interest in exploring settler societies' land regimes that would aid in the development of the said research agenda of legal geography, the chapter introduces political geographer Oren Yiftachel's conception of ethnocratic settler societies. Aside from introducing the novel discipline referred to as Legal Geography that accounts for how Critical Legal Studies (CLS) may have favourable effects on Critical Local Geography (CLG), this chapter also presents how ethnocratic land regimes are created and sustained. Also, the chapter looks into the specific case of how the Israeli land regime was formulated through the Israeli legal system.