Webb, Thomas and Wheatley, Steven (2026) Systems theory, law and complexity theory. In: Research Handbook on Law and Systems Theory :. Edward Elgar Publishing, Cheltenham. (In Press)
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Abstract
It is not sufficient to recognize law as a system, we must see that legal systems are complex systems. In a ‘complex’ system, structure emerges spontaneously as the result of the interactions between the component elements in the system as they encounter new information. Our contention is that legal systems are complex systems, and that to better make sense of Law we must look to the insights from complexity theory. In this chapter we outline the origins of complexity theory in the natural and social sciences, and the value it offers to legal analysis over other systems theory approaches to law.