International Scientific Conference “To no one will we sell, to no one deny or delay right or justice” – the legacy of Magna Carta 1215 for the Western Balkans, 17 June 2015, South East European University, Tetovo, Republic of Macedonia Organized by: The Faculty of Law in cooperation with the Max Van der Stoel Research Institute, South East European University With the assistance of: * The British Embassy in RM * The French Embassy in RM * The USA Embassy in RM * The Ministry of Justice of RM CALL FOR ABSTRACTS Magna Carta, the Great Charter of English Liberties, was sealed by the Angevin King John on 15 June 1215 at Runnymede. It has come to be regarded by the people of England, and by all those who have adopted English laws, as their chief constitutional defence against arbitrary or unjust rule. Quite recently it has been cited by the English Court of Appeal as the first in a hierarchy of constitutional statutes that Parliament could only expressly repeal. Although many of its provisions have been taken over by later developments in the common law and statute, one of its key principles is quoted as the title of this scientific conference: the original chapter 40 from 1215: ‘To no one will we sell, to no one deny or delay right or justice.’ British citizens – and hundreds of millions of people worldwide – enjoy many rights that can trace their origin to Magna Carta. The following selected rights form the sub-themes for abstracts and papers: 01. The rule of law – everybody has to abide by the same rules, independence of the judiciary, equality before the law, the right not to be discriminated against; all these rights have derived from Magna Carta and have found their way of becoming universal and fundamental for the contemporary societies; 02. Limits on the power of rulers – even monarchs and leaders have to follow rules. Although this is a principle not always respected in reality, it still remains one of the most important legal achievements of Magna Carta, and still a challenge for many states and officials; 03. The right to a fair trial – Magna Carta was used to help establish the principle that people accused of a crime should be allowed to be judged fairly, a principle that was further developed in many documents that became the fundament of modern states; 04. Religious liberties – Magna Carta proclaimed that “the English Church shall be free” and today in democratic countries anyone is allowed to practise their own religion; Magna Carta also is regarded as a highly significant document in other countries, which have at some point in their history adopted Common Law. In the United States of America, the rights sought from the King by English barons and freemen found their way into the American Bill of Rights and the Constitution. Those rights find an echo, too, in every set of instructions given by every American judge to every American jury. The conference will discuss how the original Chapter 40, and the way it has been embedded in the practices and procedures of criminal law in England and the United States, impacts on today’s efforts to reform the courts and judicial practise in the countries of the Western Balkans. The aim of this international conference is to bring together scholars, practitioners and students to discuss the way these principles have found their implementation in contemporary legislations as well as to identify the problems that occur regarding these rights. Deadline: March 20, 2015 Venue: The Conference will be held at the South East European University, Tetovo, Bulevard Ilinden, n.335, Tetovo The Rectorate building is marked on the map. Lecture Hall LH4 is on the ground floor. Contact and more info: Email: magnacarta@seeu.edu.mk Tel: +389 44 356 127 Address: Ilindenska n.335, 1200 Tetovo, Republic of Macedonia http://www.magnacartaseeu.info/seeu/