We are pleased to invite graduate students to present their work at the 7th Annual Conference of the Toronto Group for the study of International, Transnational and Comparative Law (TG). The TG is a collaborative project between graduate students at Osgoode Hall Law School and the Faculty of Law at the University of Toronto.

The theme of the conference is Conflicting Legal Orders; it will be held in Toronto, Ontario on Friday, May 2, 2014 at Osgoode Hall Law School.

Theme of the Conference

Legal orders are prone to a variety of conflicts: from conflicts within local systems of law, such as through vigilante justice and social protest movements, to conflicts between supranational legal orders and national or sub-national jurisdictions. These conflicts bring to the fore the inadequacy of law in resolving the question of how we should live together, in balance with our environments and within increasingly multicultural, cosmopolitan, and pluralist societies. It is time to get creative and devise new approaches, tools, and mechanisms that prevent and resolve both public and private conflicts that develop and rejuvenate international law, and that protect human rights and global security. It is the challenge of our generation to find ways in which law can evolve to support the resolution of violent conflicts and to help ensure a more sustainable world enriched by our differences.

We encourage participants to interpret legal orders broadly, and invite papers that explore a wide range of issues in this context. Topics can include legal orders relating to humanitarian law, human rights, criminal law, and international law generally, and any intersections with multiculturalism, pluralism, or religion. The institutionalization of law and the use of specialized tribunals can be a relevant area, as well as the role of civil society, technology and social media. Foreign policy, national security, terrorism, and cyber wars, are all areas where conflicts can occur. In redress of such issues, conflict resolution theory, processes, and their implications for law could be of relevance. These topics are certainly not exhaustive, and participants are encouraged to share unique perspectives and interpretation.

Submitting your work

We look forward to receiving your 250-word abstract on or before March 14 via email to torontogroupconference@gmail.com with the subject line “TG2014Submission”.

Applicants will be notified if their conference submission has been accepted by March 21.

Please note that given our limited funding, we are unable to cover any travel or accommodation costs.

For more information about the Toronto Group, conference and accommodation options in Toronto, visit our website http://torontogroup.wordpress.com