Neoliberal law is described as reconfiguring democratic conflict

What the study found: The article argues that neoliberal restructuring has changed representative democracy by moving political conflict out of institutional arenas and into juridical and technocratic ones. It describes depoliticisation as a reorganisation of authority, not a disappearance of politics, and presents neoliberal legality as neutralising antagonism, fragmenting collective agency, individualising responsibility, and reframing dissent as deviance.
Why the authors say this matters: The authors conclude that law can help legitimise the retreat of democratic contestation under a claim of neutrality while also providing the symbolic basis for governing dissent. They present the neoliberal legal order as a site of democratic regression and outline a critical theory of democratic law centred on conflict, reciprocity, and recognition.
What the researchers tested: The article develops a sociological critique using classical sociology as a conceptual starting point, alongside classical and contemporary sociological theory, critical legal studies, and the semiotics of power. It is a theoretical analysis rather than an empirical study.
What worked and what didn't: The abstract states that the article successfully frames depoliticisation as the neutralisation of antagonism and presents neoliberal law as a moral and managerial technology. It does not report empirical tests, measurements, or comparative results, so no such outcomes are described in the available summary.
What to keep in mind: The abstract does not describe specific data, cases, or methods beyond theoretical engagement with existing literature and concepts. Limitations are not described in the available summary.

Key points

• The article argues that neoliberal restructuring has displaced political conflict from representative institutions into juridical and technocratic domains.
• Depoliticisation is described as a reorganisation of authority through the neutralisation of antagonism.
• Neoliberal legality is said to fragment collective agency, individualise responsibility, and recast dissent as deviance.
• The authors conclude that law can legitimise the retreat of democratic contestation under a claim of neutrality.
• The paper outlines a critical theory of democratic law centred on conflict, reciprocity, and recognition.