The Power of Images

Abstract

Abstract Modern law is heavily focused and relies on the sense of vision. It commonly uses images to translate and further develop abstract legal concepts, such as justice, human rights, and legal subjectivity. This chapter argues that more attention needs to be paid to the visual discourse in international human rights law, which creates and entrenches certain forms of domination and exclusion, and which prevents large sections of society from accessing rights. This seems essential precisely because of the claim of international human rights law to universal authority and applicability. A critical visual discourse analysis of key moments in the history of human rights reveals some of the ways in which images have shaped legal ideology, consciousness, and subjectivities. Moreover, drawing on sensuous scholarship, the chapter suggests that recognizing and accepting a sensorial plurality is a crucial step towards the realization of international human rights law’s promise of global justice.