Courts, Power, and the Rule of Law: Comparative Judicial Studies in Contemporary Context

Submissions are now open for the IPSA Work-in-Progress Session on "Courts, Power, and the Rule of Law: Comparative Judicial Studies in Contemporary Context." The workshop is organized by the Comparative Judicial Studies Research Committee of the International Political Science Association (IPSA).

Format

The Work-in-Progress Session is an online research workshop on a focused theme, involving between 6 and 12 paper presentations, each allocated 1 hour. This structure is designed to encourage in-depth discussions of each paper. Participation is limited to paper presenters and chairs.

The workshop strives for regional and gender balance and include younger scholars, in accordance with the diversity policy in IPSA's Mission Statement.

This workshop will be held in online sessions from 16-18 July 2026 each day from 13:00-17:00 UTC.

Theme

This Work-in-Progress Session on "Courts, Power, and the Rule of Law: Comparative Judicial Studies in Contemporary Context" will cover the broad field of Comparative Judicial Studies. This includes the comparative analysis of judicial processes, as well as the study of legal professions, the judiciary, legal doctrines, legal systems, and legal cultures. It also examines how these judicial processes relate to constitutions, executives, legislatures, political parties, federalism, political culture, and other sociopolitical dynamics.

The workshop particularly welcomes contributions addressing new and emerging challenges for judicial systems, including issues such as the rule of law and war, judicial independence in fragile states, asymmetries of power between private and public actors, the relationship between courts and migration flows, and the backlash against women’s and minority rights.

The ultimate aim is to enhance knowledge of both the shared and distinctive features of judicial systems across countries around the world. Papers adopting diverse disciplinary perspectives on the study of judicial systems, as well as innovative methodological approaches, are especially encouraged.

Call for Papers

Researchers are invited to submit a paper proposal from 31 March 31 - 6 May 2026. The online sessions are intended exclusively for work-in-progress papers and will be kept confidential among participants. Final papers are not required.

Submitted paper proposals will be reviewed by the convenors. Accepted papers will be grouped into sessions by the convenors, based on topical fit and the aim of fostering productive discussion. Participants are expected to actively engage in the workshop by presenting their work, offering feedback to others, and contributing to collective discussions.

The paper proposal must be in English and should include:

  • Paper title
  • Paper abstract (250 words maximum)
  • Paper author(s)(full name, e-mail, institutional affiliation, country, and gender)
  • Request to attend the IPSA Work-in-Progress Session entitled "RC09: Courts, Power and the Rule of Law: Comparative Judicial Studies in Contemporary Context"
  • Agreement to be available for all online sessions from 16-18 July 2026 each day from 13:00-17:00 UTC
  • Agreement to attend all online sessions and actively participate in the discussions

Paper Presenter Responsibilities

If the work-in-progress proposal is accepted, paper presenters will be required to:

  • Register by 30 June 2026
  • Submit (upload) the paper by 30 June 2026
  • Be available for all online sessions from 16-18 July 2026
  • Attend all online sessions and engage in the discussion of all papers in the workshop

Engaged participants will receive an official certificate for their involvement in the 2026 IPSA-WiPS, along with valuable feedback that can enhance their work-in-progress prior to presentation at a broader conference or for publication. WiPS also represents an excellent opportunity for building research networks.

Daily Schedule

The daily session will include (1) a short introduction by the chair and (2) a presentation and discussion of each paper including:

  • Paper presentation (15 minutes) - The presenter should focus on two specific aspects of the paper on which they would particularly welcome feedback.
  • Chair-led questions and feedback (5 minutes, optional)
  • Open discussion (40 minutes) - Moderated by the chair and involving all workshop participants.

Convenors

Cristina Dallara, University of Bologna, Italy
Daniela Piana, University of Bologna, Italy
Raul Sanchez Urribarri, La Trobe University, Australia

The convenors are members of the Comparative Judicial Studies Research Committee of the International Political Science Association. The research committee promotes scholarly work on law, courts, and judicial processes from a comparative perspective. This includes the study of the judiciary, legal professions, legal doctrines, legal systems, and legal cultures, as well as how they relate to constitutions, executives, legislatures, political parties, federalism, political culture, and other sociopolitical dynamics. The ultimate aim is to enhance knowledge of the shared and unique features of judicial systems in countries around the world.