OUTSIDE-IN METHOD

Current legal system largely follows outside-in method. This method can be amply illustrated with the existing theories of law from Natural, Positive and Real schools, independent, interdependent, equilibrial approaches to law and the deductive, inductive and lateral reasoning in legal reasoning and logic. Law is made, interpreted and executed only when the external social situations either warrant or provide a scope to do anything in the domain of law. This means, for example, unless alarming crime statistics raise in relation to violence against women, penal legal provisions in all the Statutes, Acts and their systems concerning violence against women remain in the same state of affairs without any need for reflecting or relooking into it. This influence into the domain of law comes from outside, externally and feeds into both law in theory as well as law in action. There are three elements by which an internal spirit of law and legal system is made to operate from outside. They are conception of order, command of sovereign and consensus of social collectivity. Conception of order is immanent in the existing state of Nature from the natural school and hence individuals in the society automatically conceive this idea of law and order and adhere to it as much as a legal obligation will be adhered to. Society makes law and legal system implement this conceived order externally. Command of sovereign from the authority of State and its head from the positive school brings the vision of the throne and seat of power by which individuals in the society are expected and their corresponding behavior is extracted with fear of punishment to follow the sovereign commands of the law. State makes law and legal system and brings the command of sovereign into social existence positively. Consensus of social collectivity as realists see is all about a bridging point between natural and positive schools of law. State and society make law and legal system in real and actual terms and reinforce each other mutually to bring order as well as positive legal command for the order. Law is not only immanent but a real play of interdependent forces between State and society, between authority and individuals.

In all these, individual or groups in the society accentuate the role of law and legal system from outside. Society externally ignites the spirit of law into the legal system from outside as an independent actor separate from the internal legal process. Even if society becomes a part of the process of law and legal system, it is more a reflection like that of the waters that emanate sunlight. In this, social, external and outward participation by individuals in the society in the making, interpreting and executing of law and justice is only a process indirectly impacted and not involved directly. Now, what is the other alternative to bring spirituality into the domain of law and justice when spirituality is all about inner, interior and internal processes of concentration, contemplation and self-realization beyond mind and five senses so to say at a preliminary level? In another way, how can we make this inward movement emerge from within to impact external life and social surroundings so as to achieve what law and legal systems aim to accomplish? What is this method of integral dimension of law between law and justice with spirituality?