[Call for Participants] Legitimacy of Legal Decisions Adopted Under Radical Uncertainties – University of Lille

CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS

The College of Lille (France, School of Legislation, Politics and Economics) will host a world convention on the twenty first to the twenty second of Might 2026 about “The legitimacy of authorized choices adopted underneath radical uncertainties”.

Introduction

The College of Lille will host a convention from twenty first to the twenty second Might 2026 as a part of the Cross Disciplinary Challenge entitled Determination-making Processes underneath Excessive Radical Uncertainties (DePeru). The scientific committee invitations doctoral candidates and early-career researchers to mirror on the legitimacy of choices adopted underneath situations of radical uncertainties from the attitude of Worldwide and European Legislation. The scope of this dialogue can also lengthen to different points of the regulation, which can serve to stimulate additional reflection.

The convention will probably be carried out in English, nevertheless papers could also be submitted in both English or French.

Background

Radical uncertainty is a very acute type of uncertainty, through which it’s unimaginable to foretell future occasions from, measure its results and even establish, with certainty, the related parameters of the scenario[1]. Radical uncertainty thus distinguishes itself from scientific uncertainty — which stems from incomplete information of a phenomenon — and from socioeconomic uncertainty — which issues the unpredictability of the social and financial impacts of an occasion —.

This sort of uncertainty sometimes arises within the context of rising crises — whether or not sanitary, climatic, geopolitical or technological — which are likely to exceed conventional threat administration frameworks and immediate distinctive responses, typically taken in urgency and with none assure of conformity with well-established authorized ideas.

It’s inside this framework that the legitimacy of a given determination turns into an important difficulty. Legitimacy is a polysemic idea[2], which may discuss with the judgment made by a number of actors concerning the validity of a call, primarily based on shared norms, values or pursuits. It outcomes from an evaluative course of involving at the very least a decision-maker and an appraiser, whose notion determines whether or not the choice is deemed acceptable. This recognition might relate each to the substance of the choice as a lot because the process that led to its adoption. Usually, three types of legitimacy are distinguished: pragmatic legitimacy, grounded within the usefulness or beneficial outcomes of the choice; cognitive legitimacy, primarily based on the readability and inside coherence of the reasoning; and ethical legitimacy, assessed in gentle of conformity with social and authorized values[3]. Legitimacy thus emerges as a relational and context-dependent idea, located on the intersection of regulation, ethics, and politics.

This name for papers invitations authorized and social science early researchers to discover the methods through which regulation seeks to reply to radical uncertainty — each on the normative and procedural ranges —, whereas critically analyzing the legitimacy of the selections that outcome. To this finish, forward-looking reflections are additionally inspired.

By means of illustration, contributions might look at the legitimacy of authorized or jurisdictional choices adopted in areas reminiscent of environmental, constitutional, or financial regulation. Up to date developments—such because the confiscation of Russian belongings[4], which has sparked contrasting interpretations in worldwide regulation—can also function case research[5]. Such examples increase necessary questions concerning the legitimacy of previous and future choices, thereby contributing to the uncertainty surrounding the evolution of worldwide relations.The goal of this framework is to query the function of regulation not solely as a method of stabilisation but additionally as an area of rigidity the place the necessity for motion intersects with the duty to uphold elementary authorized ensures.

Convention scope :

Submissions might contemplate, however not solely, the next axes :

●      Surroundings (environmental disaster, lack of biodiversity, …)

●      Democracy (interferences in inside affairs, inside instabilities, …)

●      Safety and Protection (exterior assaults, terrorism, …)

●      Public Well being (epidemics, medical progress associated to using synthetic science, …)

●      Financial system (inventory market and monetary disaster, financial and social improvement of States, …)

Directions for submission :

The submissions ought to embrace an summary of max 500 phrases and a brief biography (between 5 to 10 traces).

We’re welcoming submissions as much as November 14, 2025 so please ahead materials for consideration to [email protected]

Submissions could also be written in French or English.

The convention will probably be held on 21-22 Might 2026 on the College of Lille – School of Legislation, France.

Journey and lodging will probably be in control of the contributors.

Accepted papers will probably be notified on December 19, 2025.

Remaining papers must be submitted for April 29, 2026.

A collection of contributions might doubtlessly be thought of for publication, relying on editorial alternatives and the achievement of scientific requirements.

Contact :For additional data, be happy to contact the organising committee composed of Marie Copin ([email protected]) and Clara Mathis ([email protected]).

Scientific Committee :

 Elsa Bernard – Professor of Public Legislation (CRDP-ERDP, College of Lille – France)

Magali Dreyfus – Analysis fellow in Public Legislation (CERAPS, College of Lille – France)

Martin Belov – Professor of Constitutional Legislation (College St Kliment Ohridski – Bulgaria)

 Coordinators :

Marie Copin – PhD scholar in Public Legislation (College of Lille – France)Clara Mathis – PhD scholar in Public Legislation (College of Lille – France)

[1] Hasselaar J. J., Hope within the context of local weather change: Jonathan sacks’ interpretation of the Exodus and radical uncertainty, Worldwide Journal of Public Theology, 2020, 14(2), p. 224-240.

[2] Friry, D, Affect du management dans le processus de légitimation du cadre de santé hors filière débutant, Projectics/Proyectica/Projectique, (HS), 2020, p. 61-84.

[3] Aldrich, H. E., & Fiol, C. M., Fools rush in? The institutional context of business creation. Academy of administration evaluation, 19(4), 1994, p.645-670 ; Suchman, M. C., Managing legitimacy: Strategic and institutional approaches, Academy of administration evaluation, 1995, 20(3), p.571-610 ; Zimmerman, M. A., & Zeitz, G. J. , Past survival: Reaching new enterprise development by constructing legitimacy, Academy of administration evaluation, 2002, 27(3), p. 414-431 ; Barbaroux, P., & Gautier, A., En quête de légitimité : la gestion du changement organisationnel comme processus de légitimation. Administration worldwide, 2017,.21(4), p. 48-60.

[4] D. Mainguy, Saisie des avoirs russes : un parcours d’obstacles juridiques, web site Le Membership des juristes, 26 mars 2025: hyperlink

[5] D. Mainguy, op. cit : hyperlink ; article written by Rémi Mouret, web site Les Surligneurs, “Est-ce que le droit worldwide interdit la confiscation des avoirs russes, comme l’affirme Bastien Lachaud?”: hyperlink