The Max Planck Law Annual Conference, held 21–22 October 2024 at Harnack House in Berlin, brought together over one hundred researchers from across the Max Planck Law network to examine this year’s theme, ‘Power.’ The event invited participants to explore how law limits, enables, and even implicates itself in power, shaping relationships between individuals, institutions, and states amidst today’s complex challenges.
Two keynote addresses set the tone for the conference’s discussions. The first, by Professor Başak Çalı of Oxford University, was titled ‘Five Vignettes on Power and International Human Rights Law’. Professor Çalı examined five perspectives on international human rights law: 1) how it constrains power, 2) how it empowers marginalized groups, 3) how it is shaped by dominant powers, 4) its limitations within the global capitalist framework, and 5) how power circulates among ostensibly benevolent actors. These reflections showed nuanced ways power can operate in international human rights law.
The second keynote, by Professor Tatjana Hörnle, Director at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law , was titled ‘Emergence of Sexual Autonomy as a Fundamental Right’. After outlining the traditional approaches from an historical standpoint, she moved on to discuss recent reforms in Germany, Sweden, Spain, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. She concluded with recommendations for future legal reforms that account for economic and social factors influencing individual autonomy.
Outside the keynotes, the conference featured two main formats: Research Showcases and Institute Panels. Research Showcases brought together researchers from across the network, presenting on diverse topics relating to power.
One panel examined the limited impact of international environmental law on solar PV companies, the role of power dynamics in private law through cases of ‘no-contract law’, and the challenges of balancing private power with human rights and economic interests under EU data regulations. Another panel brought together theoretical insights, including a critique of Foucault’s interpretation of Bentham’s panopticon and an analysis of international law’s role in enabling new power structures in peace-making processes. The final panel focused on law in health contexts, with presentations on the regulatory considerations of AI-driven medical devices and how international public health law may address power asymmetries in pandemic response efforts.
The Institute Panels provided a platform for individual Max Planck Institutes (MPIs) to explore power through themes tied to their research priorities. MPI-Freiburg’s panel addressed the interrelation of criminal justice and rights. MPI-Heidelberg held two panels: one examining judicial power in times of geopolitical turmoil, and the other on public law’s role in making the world safe for democracy. MPI-Halle’s panel explored perspectives on power, inequality, and social justice, while another MPI-Heidelberg session examined challenges facing the International Court of Justice in a world of proliferating public (dis)order.
In addition, the conference once again featured an alumni panel that added insights into career paths within and beyond academia, with participants showing particular interest in the transferable skills gained during their PhDs. And for the first time, the conference provided an opportunity for participants to go on a ‘tour’ of the Max Planck Law Initiatives, further fostering cross-institutional engagement between researchers, with some Initiatives attracting new members as a result.
A final highlight was the ‘Meet the Directors’ session, which offered participants a unique opportunity to engage directly with a number of Max Planck Institute Directors, discussing topics ranging from career development to research methodologies. This open dialogue fostered a deeper understanding of academic life within the Max Planck network and allowed attendees to gain insights into navigating their own professional paths.
Reflecting on the conference, Max Planck Law’s Research Coordinator Dr Niels Petersson praised the active participation of attendees, noting, ‘This conference works only because of the commitment of everyone here. We hope to see even more of you next year, so we can continue to listen, engage, network, and learn’.
