Juris Diversitas

New from Hart Publishing

Personal Insolvency in the 21st CenturyA Comparative Analysis of the US and EuropeIain Ramsay
Since 1979 the world has witnessed a remarkable cycle of personal insolvency law reform. Changes in capitalist economies, financial crises and political interest groups all contributed to this cycle of reform. This book examines the role of interest groups and distinct narratives in shaping reform in different countries while drawing attention to the role of timing, path dependency and unintended consequences in the development of personal insolvency law.The book presents case studies of personal insolvency law in the US, France, Sweden, and England and Wales. It then analyses how, following the Great Recession of 2008, international financial institutions paid greater attention to the significance of household debt in contributing to financial instability and the role of individual insolvency law in providing a fresh start. Personal insolvency law reform became part of EU responses to the eurozone crisis and the EU has proposed harmonisation of individual insolvency law to promote entrepreneurialism. This book examines the extent to which these developments represent an emerging international commonsense about personal insolvency and its relationship to neo-liberalism. Finally, this book discusses whether the international emergence of individual personal insolvency law represents a progressive step or a band-aid for the costs of neo-liberal policies, where a significant number of people live close to the precipice of over-indebtedness.
Iain Ramsay is Professor of Law at the University of Kent.
May 2017     9781849468091     224pp     Hardback     RSP: $74
DISCOUNT RATE TO EMAIL LIST SUBSCRIBERS: $66.60 (+ postage)
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Constitutional Courts, Gay Rights and Sexual Orientation EqualityAngioletta Sperti
In the last fifteen years constitutional issues regarding the rights of gays, lesbians and same-sex couples have emerged on a global scale. The pace of recognition of their fundamental rights, both at judicial and legislative level, has dramatically increased across different jurisdictions, reflecting a growing consensus toward sexual orientation equality.This book considers a wide-range of decisions by constitutional and international courts, from the decriminalization of sexual acts to the recognition of same-sex marriage and parental rights for same-sex couples. It discusses analogies and differences in judicial arguments and rationales in such cases, focusing in particular on human dignity, privacy, liberty, equality and non-discrimination.It argues that courts operate as major exporters of models and principles and that judicial cross-fertilization also helps courts in increasing the acceptability of gays’ and lesbians’ rights in public opinions and politics. Courts discuss changes in the social perception of marriage and family at national and international levels and at the same time confirm and reinforce them, forging the legal debate over sexual orientation equality. Furthermore, by promoting the political reception of the achievements of foreign gay movements in their own jurisdictions, courts play an essential role in breaking the political stalemate.
Angioletta Sperti is Associate Professor of Comparative Public Law at the University of Pisa.
Click here for more details about the Hart Studies in Comparative Public Law Series
May 2017     9781782256427     256pp     Hardback     RSP: $88
DISCOUNT RATE TO EMAIL LIST SUBSCRIBERS: $79.20 (+ postage)
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Minimum Contract JusticeA Capabilities Perspective on Sweatshops and Consumer ContractsLyn K L Tjon Soei Len
The collapse of the Rana Plaza in Bangladesh (2013) is one of many cases to invoke critical scrutiny and moral outrage regarding the conditions under which consumer goods sold on our markets are produced elsewhere. In spite of abiding moral concerns, these goods remain popular and consumers continue to buy them. Such transactions for goods made under deplorable production conditions are usually presumed to count as ‘normal’ market transactions, ie transactions that are recognized as valid consumer-contracts under the rules of contract law. Minimum Contract Justice challenges this presumption of normality. It explores the question of how theories of justice bear on such consumer contracts; how should a society treat a transaction for a good made under deplorable conditions elsewhere? This Book defends the position that a society that strives to be minimally just should not lend its power to enforce, support, or encourage transactions that are incompatible with the ability of others elsewhere to live decent human lives. As such, the book introduces a new perspective on the legal debate concerning deplorable production conditions that has settled around ideas of corporate responsibility, and the pursuit of international labour rights.
Lyn K L Tjon Soei Len is an Assistant Professor of Law and International Feminist Studies in the Women’s Studies Program at the University of New Hampshire and a researcher at the Law School, University of Amsterdam.
May 2017     9781782257097     176pp     Hardback     RSP: $68
DISCOUNT RATE TO EMAIL LIST SUBSCRIBERS: $61.20 (+ postage)
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JURIS DIVERSITAS
5th ANNUAL CONFERENCE  July 10 to 12, 2017
5e CONGRÈS ANNUEL10 au 12 juillet 2017
EMLyon Business School & Faculté de droit, Université Jean Moulin-Lyon 3Lyon, France
 Law & Food:La cuisine juridique
An International, Interdisciplinary Conference on Comparative LawColloque international et interdisciplinaire de droit comparé
Co-sponsored byEM Lyon, Faculté de droit de l’Université Jean Moulin – Lyon 3Institut de droit comparé Édouard Lambert
Click here to ACCESS THE PROGRAM        (subject to change)
Click here to access practical Information(or visit the Events Menu)
For any question email Prof. Olivier Moréteau at moreteau@lsu.edu 

Dear Colleagues and friends,

It is with great pleasure that I can announce the Second Summer School of Comparative Law at the University of Reggio Calabria, with a distinguished international Faculty, under the auspices of the Association for Comparative Legal Studies and the Journal of Comparative Law, both based in London, UK.This follows on the  success of the First Summer School held at Reggio in the summer of 2015.

Click here to access the poster of this event, with detailed information. We would be again very grateful if you could circulate to students or young teachers and researches who might be interested in this.

There is a limited number of free rooms at the state of the art University Residence in Reggio, to be located on a first-come first-serve basis, and participants will be allowed to use University facilities for the duration of the course and have meals in the University Mensa.

With all good wishes,


Stathis Banakas

To access the Program, click here!

Cities as Ill Bodies in Films and Series

Anne WagnerAssociate Professor EIC of the International Journal for the Semiotics of LawCo-Editor of the Series “Law, Language and Communication”
City is a living organism. It is built around a centre – the heart - that provides wealth, prosperity and work to citizens (i.e. the business centre). Transportation arteries are constructed to cut traffic congestion and to facilitate the link between dormitory rings and the business centre. City is like a living monster. It needs expansion, exposure, recognition, security and regeneration. City suffers. Congestion is far too important and the lack of security is the core issue for the Town Hall and its inhabitants. The most urgent matter concerns the close link between the regeneration of cities and their environment in order to maintain peace, comfort, discretion and visibility for all. City is an ill body with signs and symptoms that need to be treated and cured to restore its utility value to its inhabitants. The overall aim of a City is to guarantee simultaneously and paradoxically a high level of individual freedom and an order in which such freedom is made possible and guaranteed.The intersections of Films/Series and Law represent a significant and prospective research. This edited volume will seek to explore the perception of cities in Films and Series worldwide. It will encourage a plurality of approaches for the understanding and practice of justice, morality and protection of citizens. Contributors may choose to explore semiotic, rhetorical, pragmatic, sociolinguistic, legal, psychological, philosophical and/or visual perspectives on Cities as ill bodies. 
This edited volume could explore (but is not limited to) the richly complex manifestations of Cities as ill bodies in the following ways:- What is an ill city? (State disorder, lawless cities, rebellion, revenge, etc.)- How is provided the atmosphere in “ill cities”?- How are power structures and citizens represented? - What are the aesthetic and visual processes?- How is organized the screenplay?- How is captured the ideas of “peace”, “security”, “comfort”, “visibility”, “discretion” and/or “regeneration” in Films and Series?- How does law try to regulate “cities as ill bodies”?- What are the investigated related approaches to deal with violence, rights, justice, morality, sovereignty, or any other relevant field?



Submission information:
Email submission to Anne Wagner (valwagnerfr@yahoo.com)
Abstracts of 300 words (max.) can be submitted by 28 February 2018 to Anne Wagner with decisions made by March 2018. Full papers of 25 000 words (max) will have to be sent by September 2018 with final decisions by November 2018.

ASIA PACIFIC JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL LAWFree access to apjel Volume 19

25 May 2017Dear reader,The IUCN Academy of Environmental Law's annual Colloquium in Cebu, the Philippines will soon start and to mark the occasion, we are delighted to offer free access until 14th June to the current issue of APJEL (Volume 19).Please feel welcome to share the good news, and also recommend the journal to your library.With best wishes,
Ben Booth
Senior Commissioning Editor, Environmental Law
FREE ARTICLESEditorialEditorial: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Tim Stephens and Ed CouzensArticlesEnhancing Chinese law and practice to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and trade, Juan HeThe role of public and private insurance in reducing losses from extreme weather events and disasters, Howard Kunreuther and Rosemary LysterExploring new research directions for achieving a sustainable future: what can be learned from the biofuel weed risk case study?, Elodie Le GalThe relevance of the no-harm principle to climate change law and politics, Benoît MayerBiological diversity conservation laws in South East Asia and Singapore: a regional approach in pursuit of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals?, Burton Ong, Lye Lin-Heng and Joseph ChunCountry Report‘Walking a tightrope’: India's challenges in meeting the 2030 Sustainable Development Agendawith specific reference to climate change, Bill PritchardBook ReviewsS Jayakumar, Tommy Koh, Robert Beckman and Hao Duy Phan, Transboundary Pollution: Evolving Issues of International Law and Policy (Edward Elgar, Cheltenham 2015) 456 pp, Reviewed by Adam ByrneJoshua Bishop and Chloe Hill (eds), Global Biodiversity Finance: The Case for International Payments for Ecosystem Services (Edward Elgar, Cheltenham 2014) 208 pp, Reviewed by Evan HammanSimon Marsden and Elizabeth Brandon, Transboundary Environmental Governance in Asia: Practice and Prospects with the UNECE Agreements (Edward Elgar, Cheltenham 2015) 360 pp, Reviewed by Michelle Lim Rosemary Lyster, Climate Justice and Disaster Law (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2016) 436 pp, Reviewed by Jeffrey McGee

Oxford University Press launches the Max Planck Encyclopedia of Comparative Constitutional Law
Your launchpad for global constitutional researchwww.mpeccol.com
·         Developed for use by constitutional lawyers, academics, and students·         Provides comprehensive analysis of constitutional law topics in a comparative context·         Linked to the constitutional texts so users can verify accuracy of commentary·         Built with accessibility in mind, with browsing by subject matter and simple search functionality
Oxford University Press is delighted to announce the launch of the Max Planck Encyclopedia of Comparative Constitutional Law (MPECCoL), a new addition to the Oxford Constitutional Law family.
The Max Planck Encyclopedia of Comparative Constitutional Law offers a global overview of constitutional law in a comparative context via painstakingly researched articles, and was developed with constitutional lawyers, academics, and students in mind. The online resource provides seamless navigation between encyclopedia articles, linking to English versions of the constitutional documents mentioned in articles and hosted on our Oxford Constitutions of the World and US Constitutional Law products, as well as through references from the Oxford Law Citator.
Developed in partnership with the team of editors at the Max Planck Foundation for International Peace and the Rule of Law, the Max Planck Encyclopedia of Comparative Constitutional Law has launched with 70 articles from more than 60 different authors, providing analytical coverage of constitutional law topics in a comparative context. This will grow to include over 500 articles once fully established, linked by an intuitive subject and keyword search functionality.
The articles define and cover the underpinnings of state formation and constitutional law, as well as analysing and explaining from a global comparative perspective a number of foundational legal concepts, such as:
·         Human rights·         Constitutional formation·         Scope of state protections·         The defining structures of governmental makeup·         Types of legal structures and interactions within a constitutional law system; and ·         Legal constitutional concepts that make up constitutional law
The Max Planck Encyclopedia of Comparative Constitutional Law is available on annual subscription to libraries, organizations, and institutions worldwide. Pricing is based on the size and type of institution and the number of users.
If your readers/members are on the cutting edge of this field and would be interested in reading about Oxford’s new online resource, please consider announcing or reviewing it in your blog, newsletter, or journal.
For further information, or to request free access for the purposes of writing and publishing a review please contact:
Kate Roche | Oxford University Press | kate.roche@oup.com

Conférence-débat du Master 2 Droits africainsEcole de Droit de la SorbonneUniversité Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne
La comparaison juridique et l’Afrique. Regards italiens  AvecRodolfo SaccoProfesseur émérite, Université de Turin« Le caractère du droit africain »
Salvatore MancusoProfesseur de droit comparé, Université de Cape Town« L’Afrique et le droit comparé »
Antonio GambaroProfessore ordinario di Diritto Civile I, Facoltà di Giurisprudenza Università degli Studi di Milano« La méthode de la comparaison juridique »  
Mardi 16 mai 2017, de 10 h à 12 hAmphithéâtre Descartes en Sorbonne17 rue de la Sorbonne 75005 Paris

Inscription gratuite obligatoire à master2droitsafricains@univ-paris1.fr 

Principled Reasoning in Human Rights AdjudicationSe-shauna Wheatle
Implied constitutional principles form part of the landscape of the development of fundamental rights in common law jurisdictions, affecting issues ranging from the remuneration of judges to the appropriation of property by the state. Principled Reasoning in Human Rights Adjudication offers thematic analysis of the use of the implied constitutional principles of the rule of law and separation of powers in human rights cases. The book examines the functions played by those principles in rights adjudication in Australia, Canada, the Commonwealth Caribbean, and the United Kingdom. It argues that  a complete understanding of implied constitutional principles requires thoroughgoing analysis of the sources and methods of implication and of the specific roles played by such principles in the adjudicative process.  By disaggregating particular functions and placing those functions within their respective institutional contexts, this book develops an understanding of the features of cases in which implied constitutional principles are invoked and the work done by those principles.
Se-shauna Wheatle is Research Associate in Public Law in the Durham Law School, University of Durham.
Click here for more details about the Hart Studies in Comparative Public Law Series
April 2017     9781782259817     256pp     Hardback     RSP: $82
DISCOUNT RATE TO EMAIL LIST SUBSCRIBERS: $73.80 (+ postage)
Please click here for more information about this title and to order online
Chasing Criminal MoneyChallenges and Perspectives On Asset Recovery in the EUEdited by Katalin Ligeti and Michele Simonato
The fight against dirty money is not a new topic, nor a recent problem. It has existed within international and national agendas since the 1980s. Nonetheless, the evolving complexity of criminal skills and networks; the increasingly global dimension of crime; the financial crisis; and the alleged unsatisfactory results of the efforts hitherto undertaken cause us to re-pose and re-discuss some questions. This book addresses several issues concerning the reasons, objectives and scope of national and supranational strategies targeting criminal money, as well as the concrete modalities to overcome its obstacles. The main objective is to explore where the EU stands and where it ought to go, providing useful input for policy-makers and further research. Nevertheless, the problems are not limited to the EU area, and assets – particularly money – cross EU borders much more easily than people do. The reflections developed in the chapters, therefore, aim at going beyond these EU borders. The book is divided into two parts. The first one focuses on the core of asset recovery policies, namely confiscation or forfeiture laws, and explores in particular some issues concerning the respect of fundamental rights. The second part addresses other problematic aspects related to the asset recovery process, such as the return of assets to victim countries, the cross-border investigations on dirty money, and the social use of confiscated assets.
Katalin Ligeti is Professor of European and International Criminal Law at the University of Luxembourg. Michele Simonato is a post-doctoral researcher in EU and Comparative Criminal Law at Utrecht University.
Click here for more details about the Hart Studies in European Criminal Law Series
April 2017     9781509912070     400pp     Hardback     RSP: $108
DISCOUNT RATE TO EMAIL LIST SUBSCRIBERS: $97.20 (+ postage)
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Public InquiriesWrong Route on Bloody SundayLouis Blom-Cooper
Throughout the twentieth century, administrations have wrestled with allaying public concern over national disasters and social scandals. This book seeks to describe historically the use of public inquiries, and demonstrates why their methods continued to deploy until 1998 the ingrained habits of lawyers, particularly by issuing warning letters in order to safeguard witnesses who might be to blame. Under the influence of Lord Justice Salmon, the vital concern about systems and services allotted to social problems was relegated to the identification of individual blameworthiness. The book explains why the last inquiry under that system, into the events of ‘Bloody Sunday’ under Lord Saville’s chairmanship, cost £200 million and took twelve and a half years (instead of two years). ‘Never again’, was the Government’s muted cry as the method of investigating the public concern was eventually replaced by the Inquiries Act 2005, by common consent a good piece of legislation. The overriding principle of fairness to witnesses was confirmed by Parliament to those who are ‘core participants’ to the event, but with limited rights to participate. The public inquiry, the author asserts, is now publicly administered as a Commission of Inquiry, and is correctly regarded as a branch of public administration that focuses on the systemic question of what went wrong, as opposed to which individuals were to blame.
Louis Blom-Cooper QC was a barrister at Doughty Street Chambers, and has over 30 years experience in public inquiries.
April 2017     9781509906789     176pp     Hardback     RSP: $54
DISCOUNT RATE TO EMAIL LIST SUBSCRIBERS: $48.60 (+ postage)
Please click here for more information about this title and to order onlineThe Lawyers Who Made AmericaFrom Jamestown to the White HouseAnthony Arlidge QC
No other nation’s creation, both politically and socially, owes such a debt to lawyers as the United States of America.  This book traces the story of that creation through the human lives of those who played important parts in it: amongst others, of English lawyers who established the form of the original colonies; of the Founding Fathers, who declared independence and created a Constitution; of Abraham Lincoln, Woodrow Wilson, Justices of the Supreme Court and finally Barack Obama.  Even Richard Nixon features, if only as a reminder that even the President is subject to the law.  The author combines his wide legal experience and engaging writing style to produce a book that will enthral lawyers and laymen alike, giving perhaps a timely reminder of the importance of the rule of law to American democracy.
Anthony Arlidge has been a Queen’s Counsel for over thirty five years, appearing in many high profile cases.  He has submitted written amicus briefs to the Supreme Court of the United States and the Santa Monica Court of Appeals.  A lifelong interest in legal history led him to co-author ‘Magna Carta Uncovered’ in 2014 and in turn to the present work, which demonstrates, amongst other things, the influence of the British definitions of liberty on the American Constitution.
April 2017     9781509906369     232pp     Hardback     RSP: $34
DISCOUNT RATE TO EMAIL LIST SUBSCRIBERS: $30.60 (+ postage)

Please click here for more information about this title and to order online

JURIS DIVERSITAS5th ANNUAL CONFERENCE
July 10-12, 2017
Lyon, France

In partnership withEM Lyon & Université Jean Moulin
Law & FoodLa cuisine juridique
Timing:The conference starts Monday morning, July 10, at 9:00 am, and ends Wednesday, July 12, at 12:30.
Venue: Monday, July 10: EM Lyon, Ecully Campus (transportation will be organized from central Lyon)
Tuesday and Wednesday, July 11-12: Université Jean Moulin, 15 Quai Claude Bernard, Lyon.

Plan to arrive in Lyon on Sunday. Why not spend the weekend in this magnificent city?

We are working at the planning and coordinating hospitality. More information to come soon. Thank you for your patience. 

New Release from MQUP 

Twenty-First-Century Immigration to North AmericaNewcomers in Turbulent Times Edited by Victoria Esses and Donald E. Abelson
“A valuable book for scholars, students, policy makers, and practitioners, Twenty-First-Century Immigration to North America not only demonstrates the complexity of immigration, but also provides readers with a unique analytical lens, rich insights, and specific directions for future research.” - Miu Chung Yan, University of British Columbia
$34.95 (Paperback)
Book details Overview
A revealing assessment of the policies, practices, and impact of immigration to Canada and the United States. Human migration has reached an unprecedented level, and the numbers are expected to continue growing into the foreseeable future. Host societies and migrants face challenges in ensuring that the benefits of migration accrue to both parties, and that economic and socio-cultural costs are minimized.

An insightful comparative examination of the policies and practices that manage and support immigrants to Canada and the United States, Twenty-First-Century Immigration to North America identifies and addresses issues that arose in the early years of the twenty-first century and considers what to expect in the years ahead. The volume begins with an overview of immigration policies and practices in Canada and the United States, then moves to an investigation of the economic and socio-cultural aspects, and concludes with a dialogue on precarious migration. Taking a multidisciplinary approach, the editors include research from the areas of psychology, political science, economics, sociology, and public policy.

Victoria M. Esses is professor of psychology and director of the Centre for Research on Migration and Ethnic Relations at the University of Western Ontario, and principal investigator of the Pathways to Prosperity Partnership.

Donald E. Abelson is professor and chair of political science at the University of Western Ontario and the author of Northern Lights: Exploring Canada’s Think Tank Landscape, A Capitol Idea: Think Tanks and U.S. Foreign Policy, and Do Think Tanks Matter?: Assessing the Impact of Public Policy Institutes.

Course adoption/exam copy requests: 
Click here for information Media/review copy requests:
Jacqui Davis, Publicist jacqueline.davis@mcgill.ca Tel: 514-398-2555

The UK after Brexit
Legal and Policy Challenges

Michael Dougan (ed.)

June 2017 | ISBN 978-1-78068-471-0 | approx. 300 pp. | paperback

29 GB pounds | 31 euros | 37 US dollars
   The UK after Brexit is the result of a cooperation between a group of leading academics from top institutions in the UK and beyond. It offers students, practitioners and scholars an authoritative, informative and thought-provoking series of analyses of some of the key challenges facing the UK legal system in and through the process of ‘de-Europeanisation’ – that is, in and through ‘Brexit’. It provides discursive exploration of key issues and themes for reflection and debate within multiple areas of law, broadly divided into three main areas of interest:

- constitutional concerns such as the relationship between Parliament and the Executive, the relevance of devolution, and the impact on the courts;

- substantive topics including employment law, environmental law, financial services, intellectual property, and criminal cooperation;

- issues regarding the UK’s external relations, for example its relations with the EU, membership of the World Trade Organisation, ingredients for creating UK trade policy and bilateral investment policy, and international security (the UN, NATO and more).

The structure of this work is specifically designed to offer the clearest presentation of these analyses and constitute a critical, comprehensive resource on the effects of de-Europeanisation on the UK legal system. These analyses will remain relevant over time – not only as the withdrawal process unfolds, but well into the future as the UK reorientates its legal system to new internal and external realities.

http://intersentia.com/en/the-uk-after-brexit.html

This book provides a comparative study of contract law, examining the interaction of common law and civil law approaches to contract law. Drawing extensively upon English, French and European law, the book explores how the law of contract of Jersey, Channel Islands, has been influenced by both civil law and common law sources. It is argued that this jurisdiction is a striking example of comparative law in action, given that Jersey contract law is made up of a blend of common law and civil law approaches. Jersey law is premised upon a subjective approach to contracts, in which civil law concepts such as cause (rather than consideration) and vices de consentement are the foundational aspects, but is nonetheless highly influenced by the common law in areas such as remedies (damages, termination, etc).

The book analyses a series of key issues from a comparative and European perspective, including the principles underlying contract law (comparing and contrasting civil and common law approaches), the formation of contract, requirements of reciprocity (cause vs consideration), the structure and approach of precontractual liability, the role of good faith in a mixed system, the architecture of remedies, and more.Table of contents1. Introduction
2. A Mid-Channel Jurisdiction-Jersey as a Mixed Legal System
3. Basic Principles of Contract Law from a Comparative Perspective
4. The Formation of a Contract
5. Undermining a Contract: Vices de Consentement 
6. Effects of Contracts
7. Comparing Remedies
8. Comparative Law Lessons and Reform Issues- See more at: http://www.bloomsbury.com/au/comparative-law-in-practice-9781782257219/#sthash.VKNl5EfP.dpuf

About the author: Duncan Fairgrieve

Announcement and Call for Panels
Annual Meeting of the American Society of Comparative LawComparative Law, Faith and Religion: The Role of Faith in Law
October 26-28, 2017American University Washington College of LawWashington D.C.
The American Society of Comparative Law and American University College of Law invite all interested scholars to consider submitting a panel proposal for the upcoming Annual Meeting of the American Society of Comparative Law that will be held between Thursday, October 26, and Saturday, October 28, 2017, at American University Washington College of Law, Washington D.C.  entitled Comparative law, Faith and Religion:  The Role of Faith in Law.
This conference was in large part inspired by the work of the late Patrick Glenn on legal traditions.  Professor Glenn bravely undertook to “compare the world” with his emphasis on legal “traditions” and by extending the scope of comparative law beyond what most comparative scholars are comfortable with.  Glenn looked beyond the civil and common law legal traditions to the Chthonic, the near eastern Jewish and Islamic legal traditions, and to the Confucian and Hindu traditions that challenge our basic assumptions about the rule of law.
The conference organizers have distinguished between faith and religion. The term “faith” is defined as having “complete trust and confidence”, while the term religion is traditionally used to include the doctrine and institutions.  Of course, it is possible to have faith in God or a religion but it is also possible to have faith in a secular text such as the U.S. Constitution or a civil code, and this faith may be of such fervor that it could be called a secular religion.
Examples of diverse topics that such a conference could address are:  (1) historical or modern day attitudes that result in having faith in a legal tradition or developing religious attitudes towards secular texts such as the U.S. constitution; (2) a comparison of secular faith with religious faith in a legal system, perhaps looking at the history and development of western democracies; (3) the role of Christianity in development of common and/or civil law traditions; (4) comparative approaches to legal ethics and the influence of religion on development and implementation of ethical rules for lawyers and judges; (5) Islamic visions of dispute settlement and the role of Islamic law in modern day commercial arbitration; (6) the role of Catholicism in development of family law in Latin America; (7) Laws of the nation’s secular authority as faithless law;  (8) the continuing influence of Hindu “law”; (9) whether there is such a thing as Buddhist law?; (10) the influence of the Talmud on modern western legal systems or (11) the challenge of teaching about religion in a law school setting; etc.  Interdisciplinary work is encouraged.
The Annual Meeting of the ASCL will have two time slots for concurrent panels on Friday, October 27, 2017. One of these time slots will include panels organized around a common theme, while the other time slot will include panels arranged by region that may include more than one theme on comparative law, faith, and religion. We will consider all panel proposals but for the regional panels we especially encourage submissions focused on Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, the Middle East, and any other region or subregion that includes developing countries.
The Annual Meeting Committee of the American Society of Comparative Law will select the panels that will be held at the meeting in consultation with American University Washington College of Law. Panel proposals should include up to four speakers, a panel title, and a one-to-two-paragraph description of the ideas that the panel will explore. Panel proposals should be submitted via e-mail to Tra Pham at tpham@wcl.american.edu of American University Washington College of Law no later than June 1, 2017, and copied to Máximo Langer from the American Society of Comparative law at langer@law.ucla.edu.
Any questions about the panel proposals should be addressed to Máximo Langer and copied to Fernanda Nicola (fnicola@wcl.american.edu) and Padideh Alai (palai@wcl.american.edu)

THE DEBATE ON THE UNIFORM CIVIL CODE IN INDIA: NEW PERSPECTIVES ON CONSTITUTIONAL SECULARISM IN INDIA AND PERSONAL LAWS REGIMES IN ASIAInternational Workshop27 - 28 April 2017
The preamble to India’s 1950 Constitution declares it to be a secular state. Yet, religions play a highly visible role in the Indian public sphere. Furthermore, in spite of the constitutional mandate (“The State shall endeavour to secure for the citizens a uniform civil code throughout the territory of India”, art. 44), a regime of personal laws - based on religious or customary ground - is actually applied, mostly in matters of family law and group status. The political process is presently re-considering the adoption of a uniform civil code, and the question whether such a solution - long waited for - is more consistent with the principle of constitutional secularism and more respectful to religious pluralism needs to be critically addressed, in a context - like the Indian one - where the balance between constitutional secularism and a deeply religious and plural society has been firmly guaranteed by the Supreme Court.
The current debate in India offers the opportunity to reconsider general categories of constitutional law and comparative models in the light of other relevant [South]Asian experiences and trends, including also perspectives drawing on mainly Islamic contexts. The International Workshop at the Law School in Trento, sponsored by the Research Project on Jurisdiction and Pluralisms, has the purpose of contributing to a better understanding of the political and systemic dynamics of Asian constitutionalism and law as well as the potential for expansion of the rationale of legal pluralism in culturally plural contexts.
For full information click here. 

Though we already have a most exciting program, late submissions are still accepted until the end of April!
JURIS DIVERSITAS5th ANNUAL CONFERENCE
July 10-12, 2017
Lyon, France

In partnership withEM Lyon & Université Jean Moulin
Law & FoodLa cuisine juridique

Fiduciaries of Humanity: How International Law Constitutes Authority
Criddle,  Fox-Decent
9780199397921
Fiduciaries of Humanity: How International Law Constitutes Authority discusses a new model of public international law where individuals as well as states are proper subjects, while human dignity has come to rival state autonomy as an organizing principle of international law.

Translating the Social World for Law: Linguistic Tools for a New Legal Realism
Mertz
9780199990559
Translating the Social World for Law: Linguistic Tools for a New Legal Realism provides specific examples of difficulties facing interdisciplinary communication between law and social science in an era where the legal academy is once again turning to social science.

Institutionalizing State Responsibility: Global Security and UN Organs
Proulx
9780199680399
Institutionalizing State Responsibility: Global Security and UN Organ investigates the contributions of the General Assembly, International Court of Justice, and Security Council in the implementation of the law of State responsibility.

Fighting at Legal Boundaries: Controlling the Use of Force in Contemporary Conflict
Watkin, Kenneth
9780190457976
Fighting at the Legal Boundaries: Controlling the Use of Force in Contemporary Conflict offers a holistic approach towards the application of the various constitutive parts of international law. It focuses on the interaction between the applicable bodies of law by exploring whether their boundaries are improperly drawn, or are being interpreted in too rigid a fashion.

Culture in Law and Development: Nurturing Positive Change
Cao, Lan
9780199915231
Culture in Law and Development: Nurturing Positive Changepresents a provocative new solution to the seemingly intractable problem of combining international norms with local cultural traditions. It demonstrates how the gradual expansion of customary international law provides a model for changing culture in ways that protect and advance local populations.