Lydia

Rule of Law as a legal concept has been highly debated in the past decade, not least due to the current backslide in democratic ideals being witnessed in Europe and globally. While the Rule of Law is the backbone on which the modern state and its apparatus is built, what the concept actually entails remains rather unclear. Even non-democratic legal cultures often proclaim their adherence to the Rule of Law. In addition, it is an unsolved dilemma whether Rule of Law is the same or overlaps with the idea of Rechtsstaat.

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In this sixty-ninth volume in the series, Scandinavian Studies in Law, scholars from the Nordic countries reflect on whether and how the recent societal developments have affected the concept of Rule of Law within their respective fields. A recurring theme in the contributions is that the current Rule of Law debate has affected the Nordic legal orders not merely within individual legal fields, but in a more structural manner.

The Volume Editors for this volume are Professor Jane Reichel, Stockholm University, and Professor Mauro Zamboni, Stockholm University. See here the Foreword and the Table of Contents.

Issues of equality have been radically brought to the forefront by #MeToo, Black Lives Matter, the Covid-19 Pandemic and climate justice in a period of less than five years. The structural discrimination identified in these different contestations has raised more questions than can be answered with respect to the legal treatment of equality.
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In this sixty-eighth volume in the series, Scandinavian Studies in Law, nineteen authors take up some of these questions, examining equality under the law in the Scandinavian legal context from four different aspects: theoretical and international frameworks for equality, protected grounds, protected areas and enforcement on the national levels. The authors in this volume dedicated to Equality have taken up only a few of the many aspects that need to be addressed in order to truly reach equality and eradicate structural discrimination. We hope that this volume has furthered the readers’ interest in these issues, and look forward to continuing the conversation.

The Volume Editor for this volume is Professor Laura Carlson, Stockholm University. See here for the table of contents.

Animal law – legal scholarship focusing on animals in their own right – is on the rise. Traditionally, animals have been hidden within more established fields of law. In property law, for instance, animals have simply been treated as pieces of property. However, an increasing number of scholars now understand the legal status of animals as a distinct legal issue.

This volume presents 13 articles on animal law and animal rights. The contributions address these topics from a wide variety of angles, from the doctrinal analysis of current animal law to the philosophical examination of the idea of animal rights. The volume is organized into three parts: “Animal Law: A Field of Law in the Making”, “Animals in Nordic Legal Systems” and “Philosophical and Empirical Approaches”. The scientific coordinators for this volume have been Professor Mauro Zamboni, Stockholm University and Academy of Finland Postdoctoral Fellow Visa A.J. Kurki, University of Helsinki. See here for the Table of contents

Although none of the Scandinavian countries have had armed conflicts on their soil since the Second World War, there are in Scandinavia at present war criminals, and witnesses and victims of atrocity crimes. The crimes have been committed in different situations outside Scandinavia and it is only lately that the investigation and prosecution of these crimes have gained adequate attention.

This volume presents 21 articles on the investigation and prosecution in Scandinavia of international crimes. The articles present decisions and cases tried at domestic level in a thematic manner, by examining some overarching questions. For instance, to what extent and how international law sources are considered and/or implemented in the Scandinavian countries and how the objectives of international criminal law are brought into action. The volume is organized into five parts: Introduction, General Principles and Matters of Criminal Law, International Crimes, Procedural Matters, and Comparative Outlook. The scientific coordinator for this volume has been Professor Mark Klamberg, Stockholm University. See here for the table of contents