Legal Discourse and the Notion of Crisis

Convenors: Agata Dąbrowska, Kamil Zyzik-Dobielski

Contact: kamil.zyzik@edu.uni.lodz.pl

 

SW16 Legal Discourse and the Notion of Crisis Framing the Law between Stability and Uncertainty

Convenors: Agata Dąbrowska, Kamil Zyzik-Dobielski

Contact: kamil.zyzik@edu.uni.lodz.pl

 

The notion of crisis evokes uncertainty, conflict, and rupture: moments when established structures lose their foundations. Understood in this way, crises appear to threaten conceptions of law grounded in its stability and predictability. Yet crisis situations may also function as social breakpoints: they expose hidden dissonances and contradictions, inviting reflection and enabling the imagination of alternative futures.

Today, the language of crisis is widely present within political discourse. One frequently hears about overlapping crises of the twenty-first century: the climate and ecological crisis calling into question the viability of established models of development; the global financial crisis challenging assumptions about financial stability and the rationality of economic institutions; the crisis of liberal democracy marked by the rise of populist governments; the crisis of European integration fueled by eurosceptic movements; public health emergencies such as the pandemic; demographic transformations; risks associated with rapid technological change and its effects on work, communication, and social relations; as well as international conflicts and wars. It is likely that the coming years will continue to unfold under conditions in which multiple crises intersect and mutually reinforce one another. Since law is a central regulatory instrument in large-scale state-organised societies, legal norms and concepts often become central for thinking and talking about the causes, dynamics, and possible resolutions of contemporary crises.

In the workshop Legal discourses of crisis, we pursue two core aims. First, we seek to explore the relationship between the notion of crisis and the law. Our discussion will focus on ways in which the notion of crisis appears and is articulated within the discourse about law, as well as how law and legal concepts are used in discussions about crises. Second, we aim to explore the theoretical and practical insights that such analyses may offer for understanding law (as a social practice, as an institutional system, and as a conceptual category).

 

Submission guidelines:

A limited number of presentation slots remain available, and we warmly invite submissions that examine the relationship between law and crisis along the lines sketched above. Possible areas of inquiry include, but are not limited to:

• Law and the notion of crisis: How is crisis invoked in legal communication? How does crisis discourseimpact lawmaking? In what ways do notions of crisis influence legal argumentation, judicial reasoning, and the application of legal principles during periods of disruption? How do social movements employ crisis narratives to advance legal claims? How are crisis discourses used to justify states of exception?
• Crisis and the law: How is law understood, framed, or contested in crisis contexts? When and how is law depicted as a cause of specific crises? How is law presented as a solution to crises and through what discursive strategies? Can we speak meaningfully of a crisis of law itself?
• Understanding law in the context of crises: Do crisis conditions challenge the stability, legitimacy, or validity of law? Can they reshape conceptual or ontological accounts of what law is? Is the nature of positive law uniform, or does it alter in turbulent times? What role does the context of crisis play in shedding light on the nature of law?

While contributions may address many dimensions of law broadly understood as a social phenomenon, we particularly welcome case-based studies grounded in specific ‘crises’ in concrete fields of social life. Studies based on empirical and socio-legal perspectives are especially encouraged, though theoretically or philosophically oriented papers with clear relevance to contemporary social and political problems are also warmly welcome.

We invite those interested in presenting their work to send us an abstract of 300-500 words. We will review the submissions on a rolling basis (thus, we will also inform You right away in case there are no presentation slots left). Please send the file with the abstract in .docx or .pdf format. Please include your name, affiliation, and contact details. The submissions should be sent to the following e-mail address: kamil.zyzik@edu.uni.lodz.pl.

The workshop participants will be asked to share with one another extended abstracts or handouts outlining their contribution in a more detailed manner before the congress.

We look forward to your contributions and to a captivating discussion during the congress!