Policing in Times of Crisis

The Law Unit of the Athens Institute is organizing a Microsymposium on “Policing in Times of Crisis” as part of the 22^nd Annual International Conference on Law, 14-17 July 2025, Athens Greece sponsored by the Athens Journal of Law.

This microsymposium brings together leading scholars in the fields of disability law, health law, criminal procedure, and fields at the intersection to discuss the nature of crisis and its relationship to the institution of policing. Participants will examine how crisis is formed by and is itself shaped by policing and criminal legal systems more broadly. How do moments of crisis create opportunities for expansions of state power and the production of new forms of state power? How might critical approaches to policing examine and assess the various technologies of social control targeted at criminalized subjects? Examining crisis response, abortion criminalization, and the aftermath of the COVID-19 responses, each participant will explore how the frame of “crisis” at once has the potential to create either conditions for radical transformative change or pathways to retrenchment and the maintenance of the status quo. Drawing from legal doctrine, case law, critical theory, and more, participants will aim to consider how moments of crisis should be examined within law and legal theory. You may participate as a presenter of one paper and/or as attendee.

Please submit an abstract (by email only) to: atiner@atiner.gr, using the abstract submission form by 3 June 2025 to: Dr. Jamelia Morgan, Professor of Law, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, USA. Abstracts should include the following details: Title of Paper, Full Name (s), Affiliation, Current Position, an email address, and at least 3 keywords that best describe the subject of your submission. Decisions are reached within 4 weeks.

Fee structure information is available on www.atiner.gr/fees.

Special arrangements will be made with a local hotel for a limited number of rooms at a special conference rate. In addition, a number of special events will be organized which give a great opportunity to further discuss the issues presented at the conference. From Athens Institute’s long experience these events bring together scholars from different countries and disciplines which may result to research collaborations and joint publications. These events include a pragmatic symposium (as organized in Ancient Athens but fine-tuned to synchronous ethics), a special one-day educational island tour, a Mycenae and island of Poros visit, an Athens educational walking tour, a day trip to Delphi, and an ancient Corinth and Cape Sounion visit. Details of the social program are available here.