Gender and Legal Interpretation

Although the focus of judicial decisions is on laws and evidence, other factors also play crucial roles. Judges' gender is one such factor hypothetically influencing judicial decision-making. The present study seeks to determine whether, based on statistical and empirical evidence, a correspondence can be detected between the judges’ gender and their judicial decision-making. Using descriptive-analytical method, the present study tries, first, to achieve a coherent understanding of this issue by analyzing the researches already carried out on the judges' gender and, in the next step, to provide solutions to control –or at least minimize- the unconscious impact of gender on decision-making. The solutions presented in this research fall into two categories: personal strategies and structural strategies. In the first category, we try to provide recommendations to strengthen cognitive powers, while in the second, we will suggest ways to minimize the impact of judges' gender by structurally reforming the judiciary system.