Between a witness, a reporter, and a judge : the probative status of the expert -- The right hand of Qadis : male experts in judicial practice -- Agents of patriarchy in the secluded world of women : females as expert witnesses -- The modern period -- Continuity and reform : the Egyptian expert system in a comparative perspective -- Revealing the secrets of the body : litigants, courts, and modern medicine in Egypt -- From physiognomy to DNA testing : developments in the establishment of paternity -- Conclusion : Islamic expert witnessing in comparative perspective
Summary
Islam's tense relationship with modernity is one of the most crucial issues of our time. Within Islamic legal systems, this struggle has played a significant role in attitudes toward expert witnesses. Shaham examines the evolution of the role of such witnesses in a number of Arab countries from the premodern period to the present
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 249-262) and index
