Law and Emotions (LAW-RS-LAWEM-23)

LAW-RS-LAWEM-23

Description

First and second year researchers as well as LLM researchers can gain 3 credits by attending one of the researcher-taught seminars in each academic year; they can also register for and attend further researcher-taught seminars without gaining credits.

What types of emotional harm should be legally actionable? To what extent is criminal law driven by notions of revenge and redemption? Is hope a necessary ingredient in the legal struggle for a sustainable future?
The intersection of law and emotions is a fascinating and rapidly evolving field of study that explores the intricate relationship between human emotions and legal modalities. This interdisciplinary seminar delves into how emotions shape and – are influenced by – legal processes, decisions, and outcomes. It provides a cursory overview of key debates and developments within the field, from where it explores four case studies. The seminar is conceived as a participatory exercise; it ventures beyond strictly academic ground to explore how our own emotions interact with our legal research. What drives us? How do emotions reflect in our choice of research questions and approaches, in our writing? These are some of the questions that will be addressed towards the end of the seminar.
This course is designed for students from all areas of law and research traditions, although it will likely resonate most with those who have some appreciation of socio-legal approaches. No prior knowledge of the field is required for participation. To foster a constructive dialogue, we expect participants to attend all seminars (preferably in person) and to commit to reading the prescribed literature before the seminars.

After completing the seminar, participants should be able to:
1. Attain a basic understanding of the problems and phenomena animating law & emotions research.
2. Familiarise themselves with different approaches within law & emotions and be able to critically discuss such approaches in relation to concrete case studies.
3. (Self-)reflect on the role of emotions in swaying legal research practices and outcomes, including their own endeavours.

First, Second & Third Term: registration from 25 to 28 September