The Speluncean Explorers
Photo by Bruno van der Kraan on Unsplash Since I left law school, I've realized that most people view the law as beyond their understanding. Intimidating, even. This is mere perception. Most legal matters can be translated into forms that make them easy to understand. So I want to share the first article I ever read in law school - The Case of the Speluncean Explorers by Lon L. Fuller. The wiki summary of this (28 page) article can be found here. The article was inspired by the infamous case of R vs Dudley and Stephens . Dudley and Stephens were shipwrecked along with two other men. When one of the other men - a cabin boy named Richard Parker - fell into a coma, he was killed and eaten by Dudley and Stephens. They were tried for murder after being rescued, found guilty, and sentenced to death. Considering that Dudley and Stephens would have died if they hadn't done what they did, public opinion called for mercy. In the end, they got a sentence o...