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FrancoAngeli Journals

Papers

No. 4 (2025)

Doing legal geography. An analysis of actor networks in the production of law and space in administrative law on worship buildings

  • Giulia Massenz
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3280/rgioa4-2025oa21682
Submitted
dicembre 15, 2025
Published
2026-01-12

Abstract

Building on recent theoretical contributions to legal geography in Italy, this article offers a grounded application of the field, aimed at analyzing the actors involved in the production of law. Focusing on the case study of Islamic places of worship in Italy, and drawing on a systematic analysis of related administrative disputes in Lombardy from 2009 to 2024, the study identifies a prolonged pattern of uncritical judicial acceptance of police reports during legal proceedings. The routinized use of such documents – produced by officers whose highly discretionary work is shaped by hierarchical pressures, citizen expectations, and a strong sense of duty – effectively concentrates significant power in the hands of local police. As a result, local police emerge as a central institution not only in legal processes but also in the shaping of urban space.

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