The Institute of Sociology, part of the faculty of Philosophy of the Jagiellonian University, as well as the Section of Sociology of Law and Krakow Branch of the Polish Sociological Society, have the honour of inviting you to participate in the International Scientific Conference Law and Society in the Face of Systemic Changes, to take place on 22–23 June 2018 (Friday–Saturday) at Collegium Maius, Jagiellonian University, Jagiellońska 15.

The intensiveness, scope and complexity of the political, social and economic changes of recent years, on a global, European and domestic scale, result in the need for in-depth, interdisciplinary reflection, especially on the consequences of these changes for the operation of institutions essential to public life, including the law. The main topic of the conference is the relations between these transformations of social life and law and its internal dynamic. The objective of the conference is to exchange knowledge on and discuss the challenges facing society and the law in connection with global economic changes, including the crisis of the liberal model and the renewed importance of the state’s economic role, political polarisation, increased populist tendencies, dramatic changes in technology, especially the information revolution (new channels of access to information and new forms of communication), demographic changes and mass migration, and transformations in the public sphere. We are particularly interested in (1) the relations between law and society in the context of changes in the constitutional order and the breakdown in the separation of powers, (2) social mobilisation in response to threats to civil liberties, and (3) ways of using the law as both an instrument of repression (of various social groups, including the political opposition), and a tool of social, political and economic emancipation of disadvantaged groups.

This is an interdisciplinary conference. We invite applications from sociologists, especially sociologists of law, as well as representatives of legal studies and other disciplines with an interest in the subject. Both theoretical papers and presentations of the results of empirical research will be welcome.

We also invite junior scholars in any field whose scholarly interests involve socio-legal studies. Specifically, we welcome applications from undergraduate and doctoral students. A special Junior Scholars Session, immediately preceding the Conference, will be held on Friday 22 June 2018.

They keynote is a speaker for the conference, will be:

dr. dr. h.c. Ulrich K. Preuß, Professor Emeritius of Law and Politics at Freie Universität Berlin, Hertie School of Governance.

András Sajó, Proffesor at the Departemnt of Legal Studies at Central European University, former Judge of the European Court of Human Rights.

The conference will take place in Polish and English.