Courts and Social Changes, Comparative Perspectives in Ibero-American and Asian Legal Systems

With the turn of the third millennium, modern states face new challenges to their  democratic traditions. The questioning of the legitimacy of political institutions and the  controversies on a dysfunctional lawmaking process have renewed the interest in the diversity of political, social, and cultural roles that courts are playing and the ways in which this role has become manifest in an unprecedented manner in contemporary civil law systems. This two-day conference draws together scholars and jurists from throughout Ibero-America and Asia with the intent of exploring these issues in a comparative context.