Date: 27-28 March 2025
Location: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands
Deadline Submissions: 20 December 2024, 23:59

The Amsterdam Centre for Migration and Refugee Law (ACMRL) and Human Rights Discourse in Migration Societies (MeDiMi) invite you to contribute to our upcoming research workshop ‘Reverse Strategic Litigation by Governments on Migrants’ Rights’, which will take place on 27 and 28 March at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

About the workshop: This workshop focuses on governmental litigation practices before international human rights courts and committees, particularly in migration-related cases. Governments are increasingly active in shaping the interpretation of human rights law in relation to migration control, both as respondents and as ‘doctrinal entrepreneurs’ in litigation.

Key questions to be explored in our workshop:

• What are the practices of governments before human rights courts and committees in migration-related cases?
• How do Governments contribute to and engage in human rights litigation?
• Do they act as ‘doctrinal entrepreneurs’, engaging in ‘reverse strategic litigation’ in order to shape the meaning of human rights law?

We encourage contributions from researchers across all career stages and disciplines who wish to tackle these questions through legal-doctrinal or empirical analysis, with case studies from different regions and treaty bodies.

We welcome submissions on topics that engage with one or more of the following elements:

• What litigation strategies do Governments engage in, both in their role as respondents and beyond?
• What (tacit) tactics and mechanisms might Governments be using to shape courts’ and treaty bodies’ jurisprudence?
• Discussions of case/s or situations or specific doctrinal or procedural developments where a litigation strategy of Governments can be identified;
• Case studies of Government practices in the migration jurisprudence of a particular court or treaty body or on a particular element of migration policy;
• Case studies on how the relevant decision-making on Governmental litigation strategies is organised at the national level.

Submission details: Participants interested in joining should send an abstract (up to 400 words) to j.klueger@vu.nl and m.avila.curras@vu.nl by December 20, 2024, at 23:59, using the subject line “Reverse Strategic Litigation by Governments workshop.” Be sure to include your name, affiliation, and contact information in your submission.

A short draft (3-7 pages) will be required before the workshop for discussion purposes.

Contact Information: For more information, please refer to the attached PDF or reach out via the emails provided.