Swenson's monograph is a welcome change in the scholarship on legal pluralism. Swenson emphasises the importance of taking non-state judicial institutions and its instruments seriously as tools for pursuing the rule of law. His writing is clear and leaves the reader to appreciate why there should be more positive and optimistic engagement with normative orders beyond the state... Thus, Contending Orders is a book not just for scholars who are interested in legal pluralism: it is also a valuable resource for those who are in the field as practitioners assisting with justice sector building initiatives in societies where the non-state justice system thrives.
Geoffrey Swenson is a Senior Lecturer in International Politics at City, University of London.