The Legitimacy of Legal Decisions Adopted under Radical Uncertainties

The University of Lille will host a conference from 21st to the 22nd May 2026 as
part of the Cross Disciplinary Project entitled Decision-making Processes under Extreme
Radical Uncertainties (DePeru). The scientific committee invites doctoral candidates and
early-career researchers to reflect on the legitimacy of decisions adopted under conditions of
radical uncertainties from the perspective of International and European Law. The scope of
this discussion may also extend to other aspects of the law, which may serve to stimulate
further reflection.

The conference will be conducted in English, however papers may be submitted in
either English or French.

This type of uncertainty typically arises in the context of emerging crises — whether
sanitary, climatic, geopolitical or technological — which tend to exceed traditional risk
management frameworks and prompt exceptional responses, often taken in urgency and
without any guarantee of conformity with well-established legal principles.
It is within this framework that the legitimacy of a given decision becomes a crucial
issue. Legitimacy is a polysemic concept2, which can refer to the judgment made by one or
more actors regarding the validity of a decision, based on shared norms, values or interests. It
results from an evaluative process involving at least a decision-maker and an appraiser,
whose perception determines whether the decision is deemed acceptable. This recognition
may relate both to the substance of the decision as much as the procedure that led to its
adoption. Generally, three forms of legitimacy are distinguished: pragmatic legitimacy,
grounded in the usefulness or favourable outcomes of the decision; cognitive legitimacy,
based on the clarity and internal coherence of the reasoning; and moral legitimacy, assessed
in light of conformity with social and legal values3. Legitimacy thus emerges as a relational
and context-dependent concept, situated at the intersection of law, ethics, and politics.
This call for papers invites legal and social science early researchers to explore the
ways in which law seeks to respond to radical uncertainty — both at the normative and
procedural levels —, while critically examining the legitimacy of the decisions that
result. To this end, forward-looking reflections are also encouraged.

By way of illustration, contributions may examine the legitimacy of legal or
jurisdictional decisions adopted in areas such as environmental, constitutional, or economic law. Contemporary developments—such as the confiscation of Russian assets4, which has
sparked contrasting interpretations in international law—may also serve as case studies5.
Such examples raise important questions about the legitimacy of past and future decisions,
thereby contributing to the uncertainty surrounding the evolution of international relations.
The aim of this framework is to question the role of law not only as a means of stabilisation
but also as a space of tension where the need for action intersects with the obligation to
uphold fundamental legal guarantees.

Conference scope :

Submissions could consider, but not exclusively, the following axes :

• Environment (environmental crisis, loss of biodiversity, …)
• Democracy (interferences in internal affairs, internal instabilities, …)
• Security and Defense (external assaults, terrorism, …)
• Public Health (epidemics, medical progress related to the use of artificial science, …)
• Economy (stock market and financial crisis, economic and social development of
  States, …)

Instructions for submission :

The submissions should include an abstract of max 500 words and a short biography
(between 5 to 10 lines).
We are welcoming submissions up to November 14, 2025 so please forward material for
consideration to legitimacy@univ-lille.fr

Submissions may be written in French or English

The conference will be held on 21-22 May 2026 at the University of Lille – Faculty of Law,
France.

Travel and accommodations will be in charge of the contributors.
Accepted papers will be notified on December 19, 2025.
Final papers should be submitted for April 29, 2026.
A selection of contributions could potentially be considered for publication, depending on
editorial opportunities and the fulfillment of scientific standards.

Contact :

For further information, feel free to contact the organising committee composed of Marie
Copin (marie.copin@univ-lille.fr) and Clara Mathis (clara.mathis@univ-lille.fr).