November 20, a seminar on Batman - a champion of justice or a villain? As the Dark Knight turns 80, legal scholars of Sant’Anna School highlight the relationship between the superhero and the law

Batman: a hero or a villain? The Batman myth encompasses complexities that challenge our concepts of law, justice and legality. As the Dark Knight introduced by Bob Kane and Bill Finger turns 80, legal scholars working on the Stals project (Sant’Anna Legal Studies) at Sant’Anna School Dirpolis Institute present an “exceptional” analysis of the superhero as a figure beyond the law. The topic “Is the Dark Knight above the law? Diritto e giustizia nell’universo narrativo di Batman” will be discussed in a conference open to the public taking place on November 20 from 6.30 to 8.00 pm (room 3). Participants include Paolo Addis (Sant’Anna School), Marco Teti (University eCampus), Giuseppe Martinico (Sant’Anna School).

“Batman turns 80. We organized this seminar to celebrate one of the best characters in Pop Culture – said Giuseppe Martinico, Professor of Comparative Public Law. Batman is a champion of justice but also points to a different classification of relationship to the law. He is not a villain but sometimes breaks the law in the desire to achieve justice. We will investigate his role, to capture the essence of his law enforcement and the hypocrisy that society create to contain violence”.

The STALS conference is open to the public.

Cover photo: the Stals research group (Sant’Anna Legal Studies), from left to right, Giuseppe Martinico, Giacomo Delledonne, Francesca Biondi, Paolo Addis