CfP "Exploring Tensions in Law and Legal Semiotics"; Special Issue of the International Journal for the Semiotics of Law

 

 I am delighted to pass along this CfP.  Wei Yu (University of Melbourne), Kieran Tranter (Queensland University of Technology)  & René Cornish (University of New England) are editing an issue of the International Journal for the Semiotics of Law, the theme of which is "Exploring Tensions in Law and Legal Semiotics."

Legal semiotics is a dynamic field at the intersection of law, language, culture, and society,
marked by the inherent tension between semiotic representation and legal interpretation. This
call invites scholars and researchers to delve into the complexities of tension in legal semiotics either linguistically or visually, exploring its cultural, social, historical, and legal dimensions, while also considering shifts in meaning through semiotic analysis.
Topics: This call seeks contributions that critically examine tensions in law and legal linguistics, highlighting its multifaceted nature

- Abstracts of 300 words by 15 January 2025
- After selection, final papers (no more than 15,000 words) should be submitted by 15
June 2025.

The CfP may be accessed HERE.   It also follows below.

 

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Call for Papers
SPECIAL ISSUE
Exploring Tensions in Law and Legal Semiotics
Guest Editors
Wei Yu The University of Melbourne
Kieran Tranter The Queensland University of Technology
Rene Cornish The University of New England

Legal semiotics is a dynamic field at the intersection of law, language, culture, and society,
marked by the inherent tension between semiotic representation and legal interpretation. This
call invites scholars and researchers to delve into the complexities of tension in legal semiotics
either linguistically or visually, exploring its cultural, social, historical, and legal dimensions,
while also considering shifts in meaning through semiotic analysis.
Topics: This call seeks contributions that critically examine tensions in law and legal linguistics,
highlighting its multifaceted nature:

1. Cultural Tensions: Analyzing how cultural norms, values, and practices intersect with
legal language, generating tensions in interpretation. How do these tensions shape
legal discourse and influence the understanding of legal concepts across different
cultural contexts?
2. Social Dynamics: Investigating the tensions arising from societal factors such as power
dynamics, socio-economic disparities, and identity politics, and their impact on legal
communication. How do these tensions manifest in legal texts and affect access to
justice and equality before the law?
3. Historical Perspectives on Tensions: Tracing the historical evolution of legal language
and the tensions embedded within it. How have historical contexts contributed to the
creation of legal ambiguities, and how do these tensions persist or transform over
time?
4. Legal Analysis of Tensions: Examining the tensions inherent in legal principles,
doctrines, and precedents, and their implications for linguistic interpretation. How do
tensions between legal certainty and flexibility shape the interpretation of statutes,
contracts, and judicial opinions?
5. Linguistic and Semiotic Tensions: Exploring linguistic and semiotic tensions within legal
texts, including ambiguities, contradictions, and shifts in meaning. How do these
tensions challenge traditional legal reasoning and foster new approaches to legal
interpretation?
6. Cyberattacks and Legal Responses: Investigating the linguistic and legal challenges in
framing laws that address cyberattacks. This involves exploring the tension between
the technical language of cybersecurity and the interpretative language of legal
response, the adequacy of current legal terminologies to address evolving cyber
threats, and the development of new legal lexicons that can effectively encapsulate
the complexity of cyber phenomena.
7. Digital Justice and Access to Law: Delving into how technology-mediated
environments influence legal linguistics, particularly in the contexts of online dispute
resolution, virtual courtrooms, and electronic legal documentation. This explores the
tensions between traditional legal language and the demands for clarity, accessibility,
and adaptability in digital legal platforms.

Submissions of abstracts should be addressed to wendyroseyu@hotmail.com ,
k.tranter@qut.edu.au and rcornis3@une.edu.au .
- Abstracts of 300 words by 15 January 2025
- After selection, final papers (no more than 15,000 words) should be submitted by 15
June 2025.