International Forum on Asian Laws: Diffusion of Laws in Asia (Call for Papers)

The University of Oxford Programme in Asian Laws (OPAL) and the National University of Singapore (NUS) Centre for Asian Legal Studies (CALS) are pleased to announce the first

International Forum on Asian Laws

to be held on 1-2 August 2024, at NUS Faculty of Law.

The aims of this series of meetings are: fostering new research on Asian Laws; capacity building; facilitating networking among Asian Laws scholars of all stripes that may lead to informal mentoring, collaboration, and information sharing; and, increasing the visibility of Asian Laws scholarship around the world.

Convened by Mindy Chen-Wishart and Ngoc Son Bui, this in-person conference aims to bring together a diverse group of scholars, researchers, and graduate students around the world to share their work on a selected theme of Asian laws.

The theme for the conference this year is Diffusion of Laws in Asia (the possible theme for next conference is Innovation of Laws in Asia):

Asia is a very dynamic region, and its jurisdictions draw their inspirations from many sources.  There are multiple instances of transnational movements of legal ideas, principles, rules, and institutions in East, Southeast, South, and Central Asia. The diffusion (also called transplant) may be horizonal (from one Asian jurisdiction to another jurisdiction) or vertical (from international/transnational law into domestic law). Papers may be submitted in any aspect of legal diffusion, for example:

• the process of any initial diffusion;
• the success of any diffusion;
• the convergences and divergences that develop over time.

Submissions are welcomed in three streams (a prize will be awarded for the best paper in each stream):

• Diffusion of traditional/religious law: such as, village law, Confucian law, Buddhist law, Hindu law, and Islamic law.
• Diffusion of private law: such as, contract law, property law, and commercial law.
• Diffusion of public law: such as, constitutional law, administrative law, and criminal law.

Timeline:

• Online workshop on legal writing: 2 December 2023
• Submission of Abstract (300 word) 1 February 2024
• Notification of selection: 1 March 2024.
• Submission of Full Papers (8000-10000 words): 1 July 2024.
• Conference Days: 1-2 August 2024.

Travel and Accommodation:

• All attendees are responsible for the cost of their own travels and accommodations. We will suggest hotels in due course. There is a conference fee of $S250 to cover costs of two lunches, one conference dinner, refreshments and morning /afternoon tea, and venue and support staff.
• The conference fee is waived for those chosen to present their work.
• We can award a limited number of bursaries to assist with travel and accommodation for selected participants whose home institutions cannot pay for attendance.  If your paper is chosen, please let us know if this is the case.

Registration:

• Register your interest in the online workshop on legal writing to here by 25 November 2023.

Send your submission of abstract to opal@law.ox.ac.uk by 1 February 2024.