Criminally ignorant : why the law pretends we know what we don't /

Though not often formally discussed, "legal fiction"--the umbrella under which "willful ignorance" falls--is a part of the philosophy of law virtually all legal scholars address informally. Sarch (School of Law, Univ. of Surrey, UK) examines how legal fictions fit into society's recognition of notions of culpability and ignorance. For the most part, he reviews how the law considers (or ignores) the notion of willful ignorance. Drawing on history, law, sociology, and politics, Sarch provides guidance for legal scholars on how to better understand not only broad notions of legal fiction but also micro ideas connected to criminal law. In the book's nine chapters, he outlines the history of and current approaches to issues connected to legal fiction. Each chapter helps readers understand how and in what ways the willful ignorance doctrine informs those in the field of law. Sarch concludes with consideration of corporations and their role in criminal culpability. The paucity of books on legal fiction is in part due to the density of the concept, but Sarch flushes out some of that density through deliberative and clear prose. An important book in the field, Criminally Ignorant is best suited to legal scholars. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students, researchers, faculty. --Aaron RS Lorenz, Ramapo College