Crossroads in Private International Law Seminar Series, University of Aberdeen – Conflict of Laws

In April, the Aberdeen Centre for Personal Worldwide Regulation and Transnational Governance shall be relaunching its Crossroads in Personal Worldwide Regulation analysis seminar sequence. It should characteristic each on-line and hybrid occasions.

For the upcoming time period, six occasions have been scheduled:

23 April 2025 at 14:00 (UK time) | “Shopper Safety and Justice in Israeli Personal Worldwide Regulation” by Prof Sharon Shakargy (The Hebrew College of Jerusalem) | on-line and in-person

In 1933, Professor David Cavers argued for rethinking the selection of regulation course of by prioritizing justice and social gathering expectations over formal guidelines, sparking the American alternative of regulation revolution. Whereas this motion had some lasting impacts, it finally was principally unsuccessful. Almost 90 years later, the problem of justice in battle of legal guidelines stays related, particularly concerning energy disparities between main tech corporations and customers. This paper requires a renewed deal with justice inside this context, outlining its implications for the present authorized framework.

24 April 2025 at 14:00 (UK time) | “Collisions and Autonomous Ships: A Problem for the Collision Conference 1910” by Ms Luci Carey (College of Aberdeen) | on-line solely

The introduction of Maritime Autonomous Floor Ships (MASS) whereby human crews are changed by AI pushed navigation techniques raises novel authorized questions. One among these pertains to the legal responsibility of the vessel within the occasion of a collision. The Worldwide Conference for the Unification of Sure Guidelines of Regulation with respect to Collisions between Vessels 1910 (1910 Collision Conference) apportions legal responsibility between colliding ships primarily based upon the diploma of fault. The introduction of synthetic intelligence is making the dedication of fault or legal responsibility in negligence more and more tough. This seminar questions whether or not fault-based legal responsibility for collisions involving ships navigated with out human management is suitable, enquires if strict legal responsibility is the logical answer or if the 1910 Collision Conference is strong in its present type to accommodate technological developments.

30 April 2025 at 12:00 (UK time) | “A Skewed Cut price? Platforms get the King’s Safety for little or no Obedience or Allegiance” by Prof Uta Kohl (College of Southampton) | on-line solely

Frequent regulation jurisprudence on civil jurisdiction over non-resident defendants has sometimes made express reference to the justification of jurisdiction as formulated in Calvin’s Case (1608): ‘when an alien in amity cometh into England, as a result of as long as he’s inside England he’s inside the King’s safety; subsequently as long as he’s right here he oweth unto the King an area obedience or ligeance, for the one (because it hath been stated), draweth the opposite.’ This justification is highly effective in as far as it demonstrates that territorially primarily based jurisdiction (in civil and felony circumstances) is one facet of a two sided cut price: obedience and allegiance in trade for cover. On this discuss I’ll replicate on how this cut price has performed out – or not performed out – within the case of on-line platforms, and on how we’d use Calvin’s Case to basically rethink the therapy of platforms.

7 Could 2025 at 11:00 (UK time) | “Ought to the Guidelines on Recognition and Enforcement of International Judgments in Civil and Business Issues Be Harmonised in Africa? A Comparative and Empirical Evaluation” by Dr Chukwuma Okoli (College of Birmingham) | on-line solely

This research examines 200 determined circumstances from 18 African authorized techniques, specializing in the popularity and enforcement of overseas judgments in civil and business issues. It reveals important disparities in outcomes and grounds for recognition and enforcement and refusal. It underscores the variety of authorized frameworks, procedural guidelines, and judicial interpretations throughout the continent. The findings spotlight the challenges posed by this fragmentation and make a powerful case for harmonisation. A extra unified strategy, the research argues, wouldn’t solely streamline cross-border authorized processes but in addition foster financial growth and strengthen investor confidence throughout Africa.

14 Could 2025 at 14:00 (UK time) | “Navigating Generative AI, Copyright Safety, and Personal Worldwide Regulation in Europe” by Dr Michiel Poesen (College of Aberdeen) | on-line and in-person

Generative AI has an mental property downside. This seminar enquires whether or not the present framework of personal worldwide regulation within the European Union is match to cope with cross-border copyright infringement litigation regarding (i) using copyrighted work to coach and develop GenAI and (ii) AI-generated content material (AIGC) which resembles protected work.

21 Could 2025 at 10:00 (UK time) | “Platform Governance and Wikilegality” by Prof David Nelken (UCL) (Joint seminar with the Aberdeen Centre for Constitutional and Public Worldwide Regulation) | on-line and in-person

Registration for all occasions is feasible right here.