LDRN Charter

Law and Development Research Network (LDRN)

Charter 

done in Antwerp, on 22 September 2017

amended in Nelson Mandela Bay, on 24 November 2021

  1. Establishment

A Law and Development Research Network is hereby established.

  1. Objective

2.1 The LDRN seeks to enhance knowledge and understanding of the role of law, both domestic and international, in relation to development and governance, as perceived globally and locally, and is therefore concerned with the social functioning of legal systems primarily in the context of countries in the Global South. It envisages that the LDRN community will engage in fruitful discussions from both orthodox and critical perspectives on the role of law in development.

2.2 LDRN’s main objective is to support and connect its members who are involved in academic research and teaching in the interdisciplinary and multi-level field of Law and Development (L&D).

2.3 Participants identifying themselves as working on Law and Development are welcomed. The network especially encourages research activities that focus on the connections between law and development, notably on ways legal systems, i.e. its rules, actors and processes, contribute to or undermine global development and social justice.

  1. Activities

The Law and Development Research Network seeks to develop the following activities:

3.1. The establishment and maintenance of an LDRN website, mailing list or other instrument of communication for the purpose of exchanging news from LDRN members and elsewhere about L&D research and teaching, publications, publication outlets, conferences, workshops, summer courses, Masters classes, jobs, scholarships…

3.2. The organisation of a L&D General Conference at regular intervals.

3.3. The organisation of a variety of activities such as trainings and thematic or regional workshops providing  a forum for affiliated and other L&D scholars to interact. Special attention is given to events benefiting PhD and early career researchers. 

3.4. The promotion of special issues of existing journals on L&D.

3.5. Joint initiatives to engage with policy-makers, practitioners and activists both to learn about their work as well as to strengthen the knowledge base of such policies, programs and activist actions from an independent academic position.

  1. Organisational form

The Network comprises institutions of the global South and North undertaking research on law and development.

4.1. LDRN has an informal nature. The network consists primarily of L&D researchers as individual members. In addition, LDRN partner institutions take on certain responsibilities as an institution.

4.2 A partner institution preferably has no less than three staff members who are involved in research on L&D, and commits to contributing to activities under the auspices of LDRN.

4.3       A steering committee consisting of members from partner institutions makes decisions about LDRN’s main activities, as listed in section 3.

4.4. The General Assembly of the partner institutions meets annually.