legal cynicism

English

Noun

legal cynicism (uncountable)

1. (law) A perspective under which criminal law and law enforcement are seen as unresponsive or indifferent to public safety, and instead serve primarily to exclude disfavored communities from society.
   • 2006, James W. Burfeind, Juvenile Delinquency: An Integrated Approach, page 488:

     Sampson and Bartusch measure legal cynicism using five variables designed to assess general beliefs about the legitimacy of law and social norms.