Piyel Haldar

Piyel Haldar has been lecturing law since 1990. He was appointed lecturer in law at Birkbeck College, University of London in 1993. He received his doctorate in 1996.
His research revolves around the historical evolution of legal institutions and legal subjectivity. These broad issues are given tighter focus with reference to a number of separate areas; namely, the historical studies of evidential practices, the establishment of common law jurisprudence in British India, and, more recently, the manner in which law distinguishes legal personality from animality.
His work is informed by, and engages with, critical theory; aesthetics, cultural theory, post-structuralist philosophy. It aslo engages with current work by law and literature scholars around the world.
He has published widely in the UK, Germany, Australia and the U.S.
His book 'The Jurisdiction of the Lotus Eaters; Law, Orientalism and Postcolonialism' is published by Routeledge.
He is working on another book examining the symbolic importance of animals in iconography, the medieval bestiary, legal trials and other didactic forms.