Transnational Legal Processes and Human Rights – Lucerne

The University of Lucerne (UNILU) Chair of Comparative Law with the support of the University of Lucerne will host a two-day workshop on Transnational Legal Process and Human Rights Oct. 29-30, 2010. The deadline for paper proposals is Aug. 15, 2010.
Object and Theme

Within the broader and currently very topical theme of the ways in which human rights norms are transferred between legal and political systems, the workshop will focus on the following (non-exhaustive) list of topics:

-Role and Relevance of National Human Rights Traditions in International Law:
How are international legal frameworks and discourses framed by national characteristics (culture, history, politics, etc.)? How does that affect the relationship between international and domestic legal systems in human rights protection? What can human rights lawyers learn from comparativists and vice-versa?

– Nature and Impact of International and Transnational Organizations in the Transfer of Human Rights Norms:
 Are there any discernible patterns for the transfer of human rights norms between international organizations and their members or from one international organization to another? Do existing international legal frameworks account for these ‘movements’ in a coherent and efficient way?

– The Expression of Identity in Human Rights Law:
How does the expression of ethnic, linguistic, religious, sexual or other identity ( un)-settle the understanding and exercise of individual and collective human rights in different geographical and temporal contexts? Is globalization of the rights’ market playing any role in this context? How are domestic and international fora and monitoring bodies reacting?

– Crossing Borders in Multicultural Societies:
International organizations, conventions, treaties and agreements have sought to regulate the conditions of migrants and indigenous peoples. Given a certain resistance to change, this track invites papers that problematize the degree to which international law serves the exercise of the human rights of peoples that cross state borders.

– International Constitutionalization and Human Rights
Against the background of a continuing debate between the creation of a world human rights regime through constitutionalization and a return to the existing international structures, scholars are invited to discuss here the (im)-possibility of international constitutionalization and its implication for human rights protection as well as for the actors involved in the process ( e.g. states). Also, we seek to address the issue of alternative models to international constitutionalization asking in particular the question of whether human rights norms in developing countries should be viewed as absolute, contextual or even differential.

Aims

The presentation and discussion of papers is designed to promote reflection and debate between students, researchers and professors while encouraging presents to organize as efficiently as possibly their scholarly work. The workshop is also intended to promote early-stage research and networking synergies.

Students of international, European or comparative law as well as early career researchers are invited to respond to this Call for Papers.

Selection Criteria

Papers will be selected by the organizing committee and academic advisors to the School of Law at the University of Lucerne. Quality of the proposed topics, relevance to the workshop theme as well as overall standard of research will be taken into consideration for the final selection of papers. Papers on country-specific topics in the form of case-studies will be also considered. Comparative studies are particularly welcome. Interdisciplinary works are also encouraged.

Submission of Paper Proposals

Paper proposals should be clear, concise and not exceed 500 words. Proposals should be written in English and include the following information:

– Name, surname, email of the author(s)
– Affiliation and academic status of the author(s)
– Title of the paper
– Clear indication of the sub-theme to which the paper belongs
– Keywords ( maximum 10 words)
– Abstract

Paper proposals must be submitted by August 15, 2010 to either lauren.redman@unilu.ch or kyriaki.topidi@unilu.ch. If your proposal is selected, you will be informed by August 23, 2010.

Submission of Final Papers

Final papers must be submitted by October 8, 2010, to the workshop organizers. Papers will be selected for publication within an edited volume.

Final papers are expected to be in the following format:

– Times New Roman, 12 font size.
– 1.5 line spacing
– Bibliography, footnotes and the resume of the author(s) should be included.

There is specific citation style required. However, the citation format chosen by each author should be consistent throughout the entire paper.

Registration /Accommodation/ Travel Costs

There are no registration fees. The selected participants are expected to cover their own travelling costs. For participants outside Switzerland, accommodation will be provided for a maximum of two nights. All participants will be provided with meals during the workshop.

Workshop Inquiries

Please forward any questions or inquiries regarding the call for papers or the workshop to lauren.redman [at] unilu.ch or kyriaki.topidi [at] unilu.ch.

mw

Updated 8/6/10