You are cordially invited to a colloquium celebrating the inauguration of the newly established “Interdisciplinary Association of Comparative and Private International Law”. The association aims at strengthening the role of comparative and private international law in Austria. The panel discussion on “Legal Conflicts and Conflict of Laws, or – It may be true in theory, but necessarily in practice”, with Prof. Chr. Joerges (Germany), Prof. U. Mattei (Italy) and Prof. G. Woodman (UK), will take place on October 19, 2009 at the University of Vienna.
The speakers analyse, from a variety of perspectives, the notions of »law« and of the »rule of law«, including conflicts resulting from the understanding and application of these notions. The range of questions to be addressed include, among others:

• How should legal systems, having an approach to law which is different from that of Western Europe,  be understood and co-ordinated?
• Can the »rule of law« principle be reconciled with the concept of the social State (»Sozialstaat«) in the European integration process?
• Is the »rule of law« an important »export product« or rather an instrument of »parochialism«?
• What are the consequences applying these notions in the context of comparative law and  modern conflict of laws?

Please register via kollisionen@igkk.org.

You may also download an invitation including a programme (*.pdf).