The Kent Law School Graduate Conference Organising Committee is pleased to announce that the 10th annual KLS Graduate Law Student Conference will take place jointly with the annual Kent Critical Law Student Conference on 9th & 10th June 2022. 

This year’s theme is ‘Revisiting the Meaning of Sovereignty’ and will be held as a hybrid conference at Kennedy Wong Moot Court in the Wigoder Law Building, University of Kent, allowing presenters and attendees to participate both online and in person. The conference aims to critically explore the concept of sovereignty from an interdisciplinary perspective by revisiting the meaning of sovereignty as a result of the changing global legal, political and social contexts.  

Traditionally, sovereignty is understood as the supreme authority within a territory and is a fundamental principle of international law. However, the concept of sovereignty can take on different meanings. It can be used to make sense of the legal and political world and it can also be used to make particular claims of sovereign authority. 

Recent events such as Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic and the unprecedented full-scale military invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops have prompted discussions about the resurgence of the traditional concept of sovereignty. However, the borderless use of cryptocurrency in global commerce, the rise of risk governance, the transnational effects of social media activism, as wells as food sovereignty movements and Indigenous People’s claims to self-determination present continuous challenges to this traditional notion of state sovereignty.

This conference aims to critically explore the concept of sovereignty from an interdisciplinary perspective by revisiting the meaning of sovereignty as a result of the changing global legal, political and social contexts.

We invite undergraduate and postgraduate students from all disciplines within and outside Kent Law School to explore sovereignty broadly. We particularly invite reflections on sovereignty in relation to issues of climate change, transnational and organised crimes, terrorism, nuclear weapons proliferation, human rights protection and free trade.

 Areas can include but are not limited to:

• Democracy and governance
• United Nations and self-determination
• International trade, finance, and investments
• International taxation
• Data protection
• Ecommerce and Cloud Computing
• Decentralised digital currency
• Arms control and nuclear proliferation
• Transnational organised crime
• Food sovereignty
• Climate change and environmental rights
• International Migration and refugees
• Minorities and Indigenous Peoples’ rights 

Abstract submissions should be no longer than 250 words and should be sent to lawgradconference@kent.ac.uk. 

Please note that participants will be considered for two prizes which will be ‘Best Internal Paper’, and the ‘Best External Paper’. To be considered for the prizes, the participants must submit an abstract and written paper of no less than 3000 words. 

IMPORTANT DATES:

New Deadline for Submission of Abstracts: 10 May 2022.

Notification of Acceptance: 15 May 2022.

Draft paper submission date: 3 June 2022.

For any enquiries, please contact: lawgradconference@kent.ac.uk We sincerely look forward to seeing you on the 9th and 10th of June 2022 at the ‘Revisiting the Meaning of Sovereignty’ conference at the Kennedy Wong Moot Court in the Wigoder Law Building, University of Kent

We invite interdisciplinary commentary on the conference theme as well as insights taking critical legal approaches. Applicants are invited to think broadly about the theme in their own work and to present on a topic of their choosing in a relaxed, friendly and intellectually stimulating environment.  

To apply to present a paper: Submit a 250 word abstract and short biography to: lawgradconference@kent.ac.uk by Monday, 9 May 2022.