19 May 2017

Time: 1:00 - 5:30pm
Venue: Room 313, Law Building, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS

This workshop is hosted by the Centre for Law and Society in a Global Context (CLSGC).

Chair and organiser

• Noam Gur, Lecturer in Law, Queen Mary University of London

Speakers

• Frederick Schauer, David and Mary Harrison Distinguished Professor of Law, University of Virginia
• Jonathan Jackson, Professor of Research Methodology, London School of Economics
• Fabienne Peter, Professor of Philosophy, Warwick University
• Veronica Rodriguez-Blanco, Head of School of Law and Professor in Moral and Political Philosophy, University of Surrey

Topic

The workshop aims to examine moral, conceptual, and empirical questions about legal normativity, and in particular recent sceptical challenges against the supposed normativity of law. Can legal rules generate reasons to act as they require or only point to, or ‘trigger’, pre-existing reasons? Is it empirically correct that people obey the law, as opposed to merely conforming to it for reasons independent of the law? Does law have any distinct normative significance worthy of academic focus?

The workshop will provide a platform for a discussion of these and other related questions from different disciplinary angles, including legal, political, and moral philosophy as well as areas of social science such as social psychology.

Programme

• 1.00–1.10pm: Introduction
• 1.10–2.10pm: Frederick Schauer, ‘Against Legal Normativity’ – presentation and Q&A
• 2.10–3.10pm: Jonathan Jackson, ‘Legitimacy, Norms and Normativity: A Social Science Perspective’ – presentation and Q&A
• 3.10–3.30pm: Break
• 3.30–4.30pm: Fabienne Peter, ‘Normative Uncertainty and the Normativity of Law’ –presentation and Q&A
• 4.30–5.30pm: Veronica Rodriguez-Blanco, ‘What Kind of Mistake Does a Citizen Make When She Violates Legal Rules?’ – presentation and Q&A  
• 5.30pm: Drinks Reception.

Directions

For directions to the venue, please refer to the map.

Contact

For more information on this event, please email lawevents@qmul.ac.uk.

Photography, video and audio recording

School of Law events may be photographed or video and audio recorded. These materials will be used for internal and external promotional purposes only by Queen Mary University of London. If you object to appearing in the photographs, please let our photographer know on the day. Alternatively you can email lawevents@qmul.ac.uk in advance of the event that you are attending.