Legal Definitions - loopification

Definition: Loopification is a term used in critical legal studies to describe the collapse of a legal distinction when the two ends of a continuum become so similar that they become indistinguishable. This means that it may be impossible to tell the difference between two things that were once considered different.

Example: One example of loopification is the distinction between "public" and "private" becoming blurred. In the past, it was easy to tell the difference between something that was public (like a government building) and something that was private (like a person's home). However, with the rise of public-private partnerships and the privatization of government services, it has become harder to tell the difference between what is public and what is private.

Explanation: The example illustrates how loopification can occur when the two ends of a continuum become so similar that they become indistinguishable. In this case, the distinction between "public" and "private" has become blurred to the point where it is difficult to tell the difference between the two. This is an example of loopification because the two ends of the continuum (public and private) have become so similar that they have "looped" back around and become indistinguishable.