All societies use criminal law in ways that – intentionally and unintentionally, directly and indirectly – affect the health of both those who are incarcerated and the broader population. The criminalization of abortion that we see in many countries, is one of the uses of criminal law that potentially has severe health consequences. So is […]
In the past decade we have seen an increase in politicization and the use – and threat of using – the criminal law to combat what is construed as “immoral behavior”. In much of Africa this has in particular been related to homosexuality and, to a lesser extent abortion. Attempts by domestic and international actors […]
Why do we see an upsurge around the world in court cases concerning same sex intimacy – from decriminalization of sodomy to marriage equality? This roundtable presents findings from a LawTransform/UiB project on “Sexual & Reproductive Rights Lawfare: Global Battles”. The project examines the use of courts and law in battles for and against rights […]
Law shapes our health in innumerable ways. It influences health systems and policies, and thus who gets healthcare, for what, when and how – and who gets a say when health polices are designed and implemented. Law are central to whether patients can demand and in fact get the services that they are entitled to. […]
Freedom of speech is a fundamental human right and a cornerstone of democracy – but are all speakers equal? A new comparative research project looks into which actors that are likely to bring cases against the state claiming that their right to free speech has been infringed – and whose claims are likely to succeed. […]
Law – ranging from constitutions and international human rights treaties, to anti-discriminations laws and tax regulations – are tools by which societies seek to address unwanted inequalities. But at the same time these and other forms of law create and reinforce social inequalities in multitudes of ways – and countries with ambitious pro-equality laws, are […]
This lecture is based on the work that won Francesca Refsum Jensenius the 2016 Chr. Michelsen Price for the best work in development studies. The material is part of Social Justice through Inclusion: The Consequences of Electoral Quotas in India (forthcoming with Oxford University Press), her book manuscript about the longest-standing electoral quota systems in the world: The reserved […]
Since ‘dialogic constitutionalism’ emerged in Canada in 1982 court around the world have developed similar and improved dialogic practices to promote democratic debate through judicial intervention. Advocates of deliberative democracy and critics of traditional forms of judicial review have hoped that these dialogic mechanisms would help enforce social rights and social justice in a democratic […]
How does the idea of “rehabilitation” work in practice? In this seminar, Yanique Anderson will present and discuss her study of Bergen Prison. Her research analyzes the perceptions of rehabilitation, from the perspectives of both inmates and the prison staff, in order to ascertain individual assessments of the efficacy and impact of rehabilitation policies and […]
One of the most central developments over the past three decades is the accelerating juridification and judicialisation of societies and of politics. The PhD course offers an introduction to the debates on the potential and limits of law as an instrument of social change, and opportunities to engage with some of the foremost scholar in the field, and international research projects currently seeking better answers to these questions. The course, offered by the University of Bergen, is a mixture of lectures specifically designed for the course, participation in research-project workshops and open round-tables that form part of the Bergen Exchanges on Law & Social Transformation. Deadline for application: 10. Aug. 2016.