Effects of Lawfare: Courts and law as battlegrounds for social change
Ph.D. -course
- ECTS credits
- 10
- Teaching semesters
- Autumn, Spring
- Course code
- GOV901
- Number of semesters
- 1
- Teaching language
- English
- Resources
- Schedule
Course description
Objectives and Content
The course analyses the debates on the potential and limits of law as an instrument of social change. It provides a unique opportunity to engage with some of the foremost scholars in the field, and with international research projects currently seeking better answers to these questions. The students can choose among a general track or a special track focusing on legalized contestations related to "Democracy, Autocratization and Resistance".
See full program attached
Learning Outcomes
Full course (10 ECTS):
Upon successful completion of this course the participants should be able to:
- provide an overview of the debates on the potential and limits of law as an instrument of social change
- demonstrate a thorough understanding of the accelerating juridification and judicialisation of societies and of politics
- analyze law as a political field
Partial course (5 ECTS):
Upon successful completion of this course the participants should be able to:
- provide an overview on the debates on the potential and limits of law as an instrument of social change
- demonstrate a thorough understanding of the accelerating juridification and judicialisation of societies and of politics
ECTS Credits
The full course yields 10 ECTS (participation, group work for reflection note on readings and course development, paper abstract, presentation and paper, 4-6000 words)
Partial course yields 5 ECTS points (participation, group work for reflection note on readings and course development, paper abstract and presentation)
Level of Study
Semester of Instruction
Autumn
Dates: 4 August - 22 August 2025
(Digital course 4-15 August, physical sessions in Bergen 18-22 August)
The application deadline is 28 February, 2025.
Please use the Registration form
Submission of paper by 15 October, 2025
Place of Instruction
Hybrid course: Zoom and University of Bergen
(for venues see Bergen Exchanges 2025 program)
Required Previous Knowledge
Credit Reduction due to Course Overlap
Access to the Course
Teaching and learning methods
Compulsory Assignments and Attendance
- Participation in 80% of lectures, including student presentations and events during Bergen Exchanges
- Active participation in group work to submit:
- reflection note on course reading
- proposal for a new BA or MA course in the area covered by the PhD course (curriculum, course plan)
- Mentoring session
Forms of Assessment
10 ECTS (full course):
- Submission of paper abstract (150-300 words)
- Presentation of their own work and comments on other students' projects
- Paper (article journal draft, 4-6000 words with an additional reading list of 500 pages, which can be from the elective reading list) submitted by 15 October 2025
5 ECTS (partial course):
- Submission of paper abstract (150-300 words)
- Presentation of their own work and comments on other students' projects