This week’s event announcements include:

1. ‘Partisanship and the Constitution’, Bonavero Institute of Human Rights, Oxford, 27-28 June 2019
2. Call for Papers: Young Scholars Forum, Melbourne Institute for Comparative Constitutional Law, 9-11 December 2019

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‘Partisanship and the Constitution’

27th and 28th June 2019

Bonavero Institute of Human Rights

Mansfield College, Oxford

Many constitutions have acknowledged the need to accommodate partisan behaviour. However, many constitutions remain ambivalent, and at times hostile, towards political parties.

This summer, the Bonavero Institute of Human Rights will convene a conference on the topic of Political Parties, Partisanship, and the Constitution, with the generous support of the Programme for the Foundations of Law and Constitutional Government.

Confirmed speakers include Lea Ypi, Fabio Wolkenstein, Russell Muirhead, Lise Herman, Frank Pieke, Paulo Gerbaudo and Sam Issacharoff

In this conference, we address the apparent tension between partisan and constitutional duty and consider issues such as how political parties use power; how political parties address disagreement and aggregate political will; the role of parties in constitutional change; and the impact of federalism, subsidiarity, and transnational governance on political parties.

If you are interested in attending, please register here. You can find more about our project here, and an event listing for conference here.

If you have any questions please email partisanship@law.ox.ac.uk.

We look forward to seeing you next month.

Ewan Smith, Leah Trueblood and Udit Bhatia (Convenors)

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Call for Papers: Young Scholars Forum

Melbourne Institute for Comparative Constitutional Law

Melbourne Law School

9-11 December 2019

The Melbourne Institute of Comparative Constitutional Law (MICCL) is an initiative of the Laureate Program in Comparative Constitutional Law, which is the program funded by the Australian Research Council for 2017-2022 which will convene annually in Melbourne for five years. The Laureate Program is based at Melbourne Law School which is also home to a large group of comparative constitutional law scholars working at the Centre for Comparative Constitutional Studies and ConTransNet.

The MICCL is a gathering of approximately 20-30 scholars, including junior faculty, post-doctoral fellows, and leading international senior scholars. Its aim is to develop the study of comparative constitutional law through exchange between leaders and emerging scholars in the field.

The MICCL meets over three days. The first two days involve seminars from leading scholars in the field of comparative constitutional law and experts on particular legal systems. The final day will be devoted to a workshop of the papers by junior scholars in the field. Papers on all aspects of comparative constitutional law, broadly conceived, are eligible.

Applications are invited from scholars in full-time post-doctoral fellowships or from entry level academics (i.e. academics who have held a full-time academic appointment for no more than 5 years) to attend the MICCL, and who wish to submit a paper for discussion on the final day.  In cases of exceptional need, a bursary may be considered to assist successful candidates for travel-related and/or accommodation expenses, with payment made as a reimbursement after the event.

To apply, submit the following:

1. Cover letter (can be the body of the email).
2. Curriculum vitae that includes details of your current appointment or post-doctoral fellowship.
3. One-page description of your proposed paper
4. If applying for a bursary, explain in no more than 500 words why you need financial assistance, and how it may aid your academic aspirations.

Application format

• In the cover letter (which can be the body of the email), specifically detail if you are a full-time post-doctoral fellow or if you are an entry level academic. If the latter, advise how long you have held the position.  Also include your title, full name (underline your last name) and contact details (email, phone, skype).
• On each page of the application, include your title, full name (underline your last name), contact details (email, phone and skype), and number the pages consecutively.
• Title a new page each for your Curriculum Vitae, Proposed Paper and Bursary Request (if applicable).
• Submit the information in a single Word or PDF document.

Email your applications to laureate-constitutions@unimelb.edu.au by 11 August 2019 (AEST).

Successful applications will be required to attend all three days of the MICCL and to submit a paper of 10,000 – 12,000 words for discussion on the final day. Further, the paper must not have been published. Papers must be submitted by 3 November 2019.

Young Scholars Forum Chairs: Professor Adrienne Stone and Professor Cheryl Saunders AO.