Moral Rhetoric and the Criminalisation of Squatting

This collection of critical essays considers the criminalisation of squatting from a range of different theoretical, policy and practice perspectives. While the practice of squatting has long been criminalized in some jurisdictions, the last few years have witnessed the emergence of a newly constituted political concern with unlawful occupation of land. This collection explores the significance of measures to criminalize squatting, both in Engand and in other jurisdictions, for squatters, owners and communities. It also uses these measures as a point of departure from which to interrogate wider themes relating to political philosophy, social policy, criminal justice and the nature of ownership. Overall, then, this book consider how the assimilation of squatting to a contemporary punitive turn is shaping the political, social, legal and moral landscapes of property, housing and crime.