ABSTRACT
This chapter utilises graffiti to question the legal geographies of property and order. It attempts to define a space for the surface in legal discourse and to explore the possibility of acknowledging a distinctive spatial and legal typology: the surface commons. Surfaces are theorised as conflictual lawscapes which enable a resistance to established property regimes and generate a form of spatial justice.
The chapter also presents the first comprehensive overview of London and UK anti-graffiti legislation, including legal precedents for regulating surface displays and public communication. Three legal foundations are identified: the protection of private property and public order, the definition of a graffiti-related offence as both a material object and a type of behaviour, and the importance of the location and visibility of the offence in assessing its severity. Damage, vandalism, and offence are brought into question as tools for criminalising surface markings.
