Call for papers

Conference “Judicial Reasoning: Art or Science ?”

The conference is being jointly presented by the National Judicial College of Australia, the ANU College of Law and the Australian Academy of Forensic Sciences.

The Conference will be held on Saturday 7 February and Sunday 8 February 2009 at the Australian National University in Canberra.

Papers are sought which address the following topics:

Judicial reasoning - how judicial officers make decisions
o The influence of social changes
o Judicial values
o Impartiality and unconscious bias
o Judicial reasoning in fundamental rights cases
o Political influences on judges
o Judicial perceptions of the expert witness

The biology and psychology of judicial reasoning
o Neuroscience
o Psychology
o Genetics
o Decision science

Technology influencing judicial reasoning
o Computer assisted judging (sentencing databases)
o Interactive visual evidence
o Science translation

If you would like to be a contributor please send an expression of interest by 15 August 2008
- by email to ea@njca.anu.edu.au
- by mail to The Organising Committee, PO Box 8102 ANU A.C.T. 2601
- by fax to 02 6125 6651

Please indicate a proposed topic or topics. All proposals will be treated confidentially.