Conference announcement and call for papers

ADMINISTRATIVE JUSTICE IN WALES AND COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVES

10^th September 2015, 9:30am-5:30pm – Reichel Hall, Bangor University

In association with the Welsh Government and the UK Administrative Justice Institute, Bangor Law School is delighted to announce an upcoming conference on the theme of administrative justice.

Administrative justice is of special importance to Wales with its significant state sector and public service culture. Administrative justice is an aspect of a broader conception of social justice and tells us much about how the state views its relationships with its citizens. It is also the first aspect of justice policy and administration to be largely devolved to Wales.

Across the UK, the UK Administrative Justice Institute (UKAJI) is looking to develop robust empirical research on administrative justice, to increase capacity by encouraging early-career researchers into the field and and to facilitate inter-disciplinary research, and to strengthen links between stakeholders and the academic community with a view to identifying research needs and priorities.

This conference aims to support UKAJI in these objective and specifically to explore some of the key administrative decision-making procedures and redress mechanisms operating in Wales alongside comparative experience from other UK jurisdictions, and from European and international jurisdictions. Contributions will cover, for example, good first-instance decision-making across a range of public-sector bodies and the roles of various tribunals, administrative courts, public services ombudsmen and commissioners.

Confirmed speakers include: Professor Marc Hertogh (University of Groningen), Associate Professor Jane Williams (Swansea University), Brian Thompson (University of Liverpool), Dr. Catrin Fflur Huws (Aberystwyth University), Christian Gill (Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh), David Gardner (Administrative Court in Wales) and Dr. Sarah Nason (Bangor University).

Online conference registration is now open at: http://adminjustice2015.bangor.ac.uk/index.php.en

CALL FOR PAPERS

We are continuing our call for papers. We are particularly interested in empirical work, inter-disciplinary studies, and contributions from early career scholars including PhD students. Papers should ideally address one of the following three themes:

1. Welsh administrative justice institutions and issues – papers that refer either wholly or primarily to Welsh institutions (such as devolved tribunals or the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales) and/or Welsh issues, such as current or anticipated legislation in administrative justice-related fields or good first instance decision-making in Welsh public bodies.

2. Wales in direct comparative perspective – papers that directly compare Welsh institutions or issues affecting administrative justice in Wales with other jurisdictions (be these other UK jurisdictions, European jurisdictions, or broader international perspectives).

3. Comparative perspectives – papers on administrative justice institutions and issues outside Wales (e.g. other UK jurisdictions, European jurisdictions or international), that need not directly reference Wales (or the UK), but from which Wales and/or the UK could learn.

Our aim is to publish the best papers as an edited collection. Abstracts of not more than 500 words should be submitted to Dr. Sarah Nason – s.nason@bangor.ac.uk. We aim to notify you of our decision on inclusion by 15 June at the latest.