Regulating Micro-aggressions
The Legal Challenge of Everyday Bias
Will be published approx. on 20. August 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
978-90-04-75751-6 (ISBN)
Description
Have you ever felt the "daily pinpricks" of subtle bias? This book investigates if legal systems should dismiss micro-aggressions as trivialities, or recognise their cumulative harm to the dignity of vulnerable groups. A global survey, from Canada and Germany to Namibia and South Africa, reveals how courts often ignore "small" slights, and where existing judgments hold promise to meaningfully address these slights. We argue that dismissing these moments entrenches systemic exclusion. Our solution lies in multi-layered law reform. We propose reform of tort law to recognise micro-aggressions, mandatory equality plans and education to foster a kind and caring society. Read this to discover how law can dismantle everyday indignities and protect substantive equality.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Netherlands
Publishing group
Brill
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 155 mm
ISBN-13
978-90-04-75751-6 (9789004757516)
Copyright in bibliographic data is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or its licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Anton Kok (BCom Law LLB LLM LLD, University of Pretoria) is Professor of Law at that university. In his writings he focuses almost exclusively on the (South African) Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act 4 of 2000. He is an admitted attorney and acted as judge in the Pretoria High Court for the first term in 2024.
Lee-Anne Germanos Manuel has a BCom Law and LLB Law degree from the University of Pretoria. She is an admitted attorney, having served her articles of clerkship at ENSafrica and worked as an associate commercial litigator. Lee-Anne subsequently pursued her masters degree in International Human Rights Law at the University Oxford, and became a legal researcher for the Helen Suzman Foundation. Lee-Anne went on to clerk for the Constitutional Court of South Africa, and simultaneously co-founded The Embrace Project, an NPC established to combat gender-based violence and femicide in South Africa. Lee-Anne has also occupied the position of Senior Campaigner for the South African office of Change.org, and is currently the Advisor to the South African Human Rights Commissioner leading the institution's Anti-Racism, Equality and Education strategies.
Lee-Anne Germanos Manuel has a BCom Law and LLB Law degree from the University of Pretoria. She is an admitted attorney, having served her articles of clerkship at ENSafrica and worked as an associate commercial litigator. Lee-Anne subsequently pursued her masters degree in International Human Rights Law at the University Oxford, and became a legal researcher for the Helen Suzman Foundation. Lee-Anne went on to clerk for the Constitutional Court of South Africa, and simultaneously co-founded The Embrace Project, an NPC established to combat gender-based violence and femicide in South Africa. Lee-Anne has also occupied the position of Senior Campaigner for the South African office of Change.org, and is currently the Advisor to the South African Human Rights Commissioner leading the institution's Anti-Racism, Equality and Education strategies.