On the theme of Courts as an Arena for Societal Change, Leiden University brings together researchers and practitioners to discuss the evolving role of the judiciary in addressing difficult and contentious social and political issues.

With the decline of public confidence in some institutions, citizens and civil society organizations are increasingly turning to the courts for answers. This has challenged traditional ideas about the proper role of the judiciary and raised important questions. For example, what moves citizens to take socially charged issues to the judiciary? What kind of problems arise if judges rule in such politically charged contexts? How can concerns about judicial independence and impartiality be balanced with changing public expectations around the role of the courts? And what consequences does the evolving role of the courts have for the judiciary’s self-perception and its legitimacy? The conference will elaborate on these questions within the context of specific areas that are of critical public importance, such as the environment, climate change, the pandemic, or the rule of law. Diverse perspectives based on geographical or cultural differences, as well as interdisciplinary approaches from various academic disciplines, will be presented.

The conference is an initiative of the Research Group, Institutions for Conflict Resolutions (Conflictoplossende Instituties), a joint collaboration between Leiden University, Radboud University Nijmegen and Utrecht University. 

The conference will take place in person at Leiden University, in English (though there may be some sessions conducted in Dutch).

For more information about the conference click here.

To learn more information about the research theme, Institutions for Conflict Resolutions, at Leiden Law School, please click here.