The Oxford Symposium on Religious Studies brings together scholars of religion from a wide background, both internationally and in terms of their specific religious interests. This allows for broad engagement and is different from narrow specialist conferences. The great majority of past participants have found this approach rewarding and professionally helpful.
Typically, our delegates hail from different faiths, and discussion is conducted with openness and mutual respect. We do not shy away from controversy, either, regularly thinking about religion and politics – how religion affects political life, for example, in the USA, UK, Israel, and Muslim fundamentalist states, and how to enable pluralism and tolerance between societies with clashing ideologies.
The Oxford Global Law Symposium is a forum for the presentation of papers and scholarly discourse by lawyers, legal professionals, academics, and practitioners who share a commitment to the advancement of law across all its disciplines. Whether you practise general law, specialise in a particular field, teach and research law, or work at the intersection of law and policy, the symposium welcomes your perspective.
The symposium will be hosted at the Oxford Union, the world's most prestigious debating chamber, where prime ministers, heads of state, and the greatest legal minds of every generation have argued the defining questions of their time. For those who practise and study law — in courtrooms, chambers, firms, or lecture halls — there is no more fitting or inspiring setting in which to engage with the ideas that shape our legal world.
In a global environment where the rule of law faces unprecedented challenges — from the rapid rise of artificial intelligence and digital governance, to the fracturing of international norms, the evolution of human rights, and the increasing complexity of corporate and environmental accountability — the symposium regularly explores the place of law in contemporary society: the nature of justice, the limits of legislation, the tension between national sovereignty and international obligation, the balance between individual rights and the collective good, and the role of the legal profession in shaping a just and equitable world.
You are invited to make a presentation and lead a discussion on any aspect of law, whatever your area of practice, or you may wish to participate as a non-presenting delegate. Your presentation must adhere to an abstract of approximately 250 words approved by the Programme Committee of the Symposium.
THE OXFORD UNION SOCIETY
The Oxford Union is the world's most prestigious debating society with a tradition of hosting internationally prominent individuals across politics, academia, and popular culture. Founded in 1823 at a time when the University of Oxford restricted students from discussing certain topics, the Union continues to uphold the principle of free speech through the exchange and debate presented by a diverse range of speakers.
About
For nearly two centuries, the Oxford Union has welcomed many of the world’s most influential political leaders, activists and changemakers. Its distinguished speakers have included Sir Winston Churchill, Malcolm X, Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama, Ronald Reagan and Benazir Bhutto—continuing an extraordinary tradition of fearless debate and ideas that have shaped history.
Famous Speakers
The Oxford Union holds a distinguished place in legal and political history, with generations of lawyers, judges, parliamentarians and world leaders testing ideas through rigorous debate within its chambers. Its enduring tradition of free speech, reasoned argument and intellectual challenge reflects the very foundations of legal advocacy and democratic discourse.
Legal Legacy
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