Advanced Perspectives on Comparative Constitutional Law

Researchers, PostDocs, PhD and Graduate students interested in Comparative Constitutional Law are welcome to participate in: Conversations with Margit Cohn, Faculty of Law, Hebrew University of Jerusalem Faculty of Law

University of Trento 19-21 September 2016

This three-day seminar will bring together a small select number of young and established scholars (about fifteen) whose research focuses on comparative constitutional law. We will discuss three cutting-edge perspectives: normative theories of judicial review; the design and application of different models of judicial review; and the notion of constitutional dialogue.

Divided into two meetings per day, the mix of lectures, discussions and presentation of work in progress will enable all participants to both learn and contribute to their own, and others’ research. Participants are required to read background material, and are encouraged to participate actively: all are invited to discuss and present their own angles and positions on these topics.

Morning sessions will be centred on a lecture by Professor Margit Cohn, followed by comments by two discussants and a general discussion. Afternoon sessions will be centred on the presentation of case-studies.

Margit Cohn is a professor at the Faculty of Law, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She was previously a full-time lecturer at the University of Leicester School of Law, and has visited and taught comparative constitutional law at, inter alia, Columbia University, Tulane, Lyons III, and the London Centre for Transnational Legal Studies. She has published widely on different aspects of constitutional law, inter alia in The Oxford Journal of Legal Studies, The American Journal of Comparative Law, and The International and Comparative Law Quarterly

Programme

Monday September 19th

9:30-12:30 -Judicial Review: Theories

14:30-16:30 -Presentation and Discussion of Cases Related to Theories of Judicial Review

The first day is dedicated to the discussion of different normative theories of judicial review of legislation. Three main groups of theories—maximalism, minimalism, and processualism—will be analysed and assessed. The applications of such theories in current constitutional structures will be discussed in the afternoon session.

Tuesday September 20th

9:30-12:30-Judicial Review: Comparative Aspects

14:30-16:30-Presentation and Discussion of Cases Relevant to the Purposes of Comparative Law

An overview of the different models for judicial review, available and applied across Western states, will open the second day, followed by a critical analysis of the utility/propriety of these models. The workings of some of these models will be discussed in the afternoon session.

Wednesday September 21st

9:30-12:30 Constitutional Dialogue

14:30-16:30 Presentation and Discussion of Cases Related to Constitutional Dialogue

The third day sessions link both themes with a rising perspective of constitutional law—that of the forms of so-called “constitutional dialogue”. Here, too, we conclude the day by offering case-studies of such “dialogue” in constitutional set-ups

Application and admission: a cv and a statement of interest is to be sent before July 1^st to the following email: cocoa@unitn.it.

Once accepted, participants will be requested to notify the organizers of the types of participation they plan to undertake. Independent papers are encouraged, but so are discussion papers on the reading materials, which will be sent to all admitted.

Costs: No fees are requested, but transportation, lodging and food expenses are to be covered by participants. Further information will be provided to all accepted participants. The Conversations are conducted within the CoCoA (Comparing Constitutional Adjudication) research project coordinated by prof. Roberto Toniatti, Faculty of Law, University of Trento For further information please contact: cocoa@unitn.it.