CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
The European Centre for Life
Sciences, Health and the Courts, University of Pavia, in cooperation with the
Court of Milan, Collegio Ghislieri in Pavia and the international group on Neuroscience
& Law, announces the International Conference:
“Neuroscience in European and
North-American case-law and judicial practice”
September 17th, 2010 - Milan
(Italy)
Neuroscience is
currently used referring to a bundle of disciplines, which study the human
brain and its relation to mental activity and behavior. Behavioral genetics has
a similar aim, with reference to the genetic makeup. Neurogenetics combines, in
different ways, the two previous approaches.
Since 2002 scholars have
debated how neuroscientific findings, neuro-cognitive methods and new diagnostic
techniques (especially brain imaging) may impact on the existing legal
categories. As a matter of fact a growing number of scholars and legal
practitioners are studying how these methods can be used with forensic
purposes. It seems indeed clear that a better knowledge of the biological basis
of human behavior might have important consequences in the law, under many
respects.
Besides, the possibility to use
scientific methods in order to determine mental states impacts both on criminal
liability and all areas of the legal system. This challenge has arisen, in
these terms, in different States less differently than we imagine.
The greatest enthusiasm has
been in the United States, where a worldwide debated case law has developed.
Throughout Europe there is now the necessity, on one side, to understand
whether there is a unknown use of such neuroscientific techniques and, on the
other side, to train judges and legal practitioners to properly understand and use
these new methods.
The topics (and sessions) of
the conference are:
1. Prospects of Neuroscience
2. Impact of Neuroscience on
the European and American Law
3. Brain Interfaces and
Legal/Ethical problems
4. Are legal systems
Neuroscience-friendly?
Furthermore, the special
session “Neuroscience in Case-Law” will be dedicated to accepted papers: we
invite practitioners, lawyers, professors, researchers, neuroscientists,
psychologist and other scholars to submit abstracts - maximum 600 words-
describing one or more judicial case where data obtained through
neuroscientific techniques has been brought before a Court, both in a civil or
criminal trial, as scientific evidence.
Each speaker will have about 15
minutes to present his/her paper.
The deadline for the proposal
submission (title and abstract) is the July 1st, 2010, at midday:
Authors with accepted abstracts
will be notified by the end of July 2010. Internationally recognized scholars
from Europe and North-America compose the review commission.
Anyone who wishes to attend the
conference without presenting a paper, or to ask information, can write to
check availability (Scientific Secretariat - Barbara Bottalico: [email protected]
).
Details about meal arrangements
and conference program to follow.