Includes bibliographical references and index. Nuijten, M., & Anders, G. (Eds.). (2008). Corruption and the secret of law: a legal anthropological perspective. England: Ashgate.

Corruption and the Secret of Law: An Introduction -- Systemic Corruption and Bureaucratic Itinaries -- Hidden Acts, Open Talks. How Anthropology can Observe and Describe Corruption -- Deep corruption in Indonesia: Discourses, Practices, Histories -- The Indeterminacy of the Law and the Legal Profession -- Corruption Judgments in Prewar Japan: Locating the Influence of Tradition, Morality, and Trust on Criminal Justice -- Corrupted Files: Cross-fading Defense Strategies of a Vesuvian Lawyer -- Corruption Accusations and Political Imaginaries -- Corruption Narratives and the Power of Concealment: The Case of Burundis Civil War -- The orchestration of corruption and excess enjoyment in Western Mexico -- State Officials in the Twilight Zone -- Corruption or Social Capital? Tact and the Performance of Guanxi in Market Socialist China -- Corruption in the U.S. Borderlands with Mexico: The Purity of Society and the Perversity of Borders -- Index

"This volume presents a critical anthropological perspective on the hidden continuities between corruption and law. The authors argue that the two opposites, corruption and law, are inextricably linked, the possibility of the former already inscribed into the latter. The book takes a critical stance towards the normative good governance agenda spearheaded by institutions such as Transparency International and the World Bank. It is argued that by uncritically depicting corruption as an absolute evil these anti-corruption programs disregard the close relationship that exists between corruption and state power."Corruption and the Secret of Law" addresses various aspects of a complex and ambivalent phenomenon drawing on studies from different parts of the world including Burundi, China, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico and the USA. The work provides a valuable resource for students, researchers and policy-makers working in this area." - From the Book.