November 25, 2025
**As of September 2025, The Human Rights Research Group at KU Leuven has affiliated with the Human Rights Centre at Ghent University as partners of the Strasbourg Observers blog**
Date Conference: 22 May 2026
Location: University of Leuven (Belgium)
Conveners: Leuven Centre for Public Law – Human Rights Research Group
Keynote speaker: Prof. Başak Çalı (Oxford University)
What started as an open letter in May 2025 has culminated in an increasingly articulate call by a large group of European leaders to revisit and reform the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR). These leaders have pointed to the interpretation of the Convention as an impediment to policymaking and states’ interests, particularly in (but not limited to) migration matters. But what does it mean to point at Strasbourg and its judges as a roadblock to democratic governance? And how can and may governments address this issue?
While the political plans are still taking shape, the changing playing field calls for in-depth academic engagement. With this conference, the Human Rights Research Group at KU Leuven will create a space for open and balanced debate on the possibilities for reform and their implications.
Authors of selected abstracts will be invited to develop these into full papers for publication in either an edited volume or a special issue.
We particularly invite abstracts that touch upon the following topics:
Abstracts (max. 500 words) should be submitted to both koen.lemmens@kuleuven.be and eva.sevrin@kuleuven.be by 17 January 2026. Selected participants will be notified by 29 January 2026.
For any inquiries, please contact Koen Lemmens (koen.lemmens@kuleuven.be) and Eva Sevrin (eva.sevrin@kuleuven.be).
Strasbourg Observers is an academic blog that discusses recent developments at the European Court of Human Rights. The editorial team of Strasbourg Observers is based at the Human Rights Centre of Ghent University and the Centre for Government and Law of Hasselt University.
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