Conference Participation

1. The Court’s Role In Sustaining Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion (Dei) In Uncertain Times: A Socio-Judicial Dilemma To Ensuring Economic Equality

• Presentation Abstract: We are in uncertain times where the courts’ role in society has transformed from the regular adjudicatory role to a more intermediate role, which requires socio-judicial empathy in judicial interactions and decision-making. The society demands more of the courts than their traditional adjudicatory roles. This emphasizes the place of courts in ensuring justice against socio-economic inequalities. Over the years, DEI has become a necessary phenomenon in society and the public’s confidence in courts keeps depreciating based on how the widening economic gap in society, as  certain groups of litigants are unfairly treated and discriminated even in courts. So,  the court has the role of building public trust in courts. In emphasizing the importance of court staff in treating poor and rich equally, this paper argues that judges who are leaders and key actors in the court system, should frame or establish a court culture, which judges, litigants, staff, attorney, the public (all stakeholders), would imbibe to impact the courts’ balanced interactions with the public, and refine the court’s public image to sustain diversity, equity and inclusion in the justice system. Therefore, in outlining the role of judges in sustaining DEI in an already existing, yet arbitrary culture, I will discuss these haphazard cultures, which judges can adopt through implementing diversity, equity and inclusion in judicial interactions with litigants and in their proceeding/s.  Then, in explaining the socio-judicial dilemmas that judges encounter within these uncertain times as they attempt to build a positive court culture through sustaining DEI, I will propose my judicialism theory as an approach to  eliminating racial and ethnic inequality while emphasizing economic equality.

__________________________