06/18/2023

Max Steuer

Faculty Member

O.P. Jindal Global University, Jindal Global Law School – Comenius University in Bratislava, Department of Political Science

The European Research Council identifies as its mission to ‘support investigator-driven frontier research across all fields, based on scientific excellence’. I could not think of a research portfolio more fitting for this mission as Professor Livia Holden’s EURO-EXPERT project, which I first had the opportunity to learn about during a research stay at the Centre for Socio-Legal Studies of the University of Oxford. It has been inspiring to observe how EURO-EXPERT succeeded to establish a new global research agenda on a previously neglected issue area, and build a thriving, sustainable and interdisciplinary network that engages with it and can carry it forward in future research, teaching and awareness-raising initiatives. This is urgently necessary as, with the rise of digital technologies, globalization and increased interaction between laws and cultures, contextual knowledge that transcends the traditional dividing line between law and politics is key for the resolution of disputes in and beyond the courtroom. EURO-EXPERT, furthermore, shows a rare capacity to include ‘court insiders’ (such as judges, court advisors, officials at justice departments and expert witnesses themselves) among its ranks, igniting transfers of knowledge and experiences which are essential for improving the understanding and practices of courts, law and politics. In light of its results, it is hardly surprising that both EURO-EXPERT and its Principal Investigator received several awards for academic excellence as well as engagement and outreach in the course of its completion; EURO-EXPERT stands out due to its explicit commitment to reach out beyond the confines of academia and ‘snowball’ new individuals and communities for whom its portfolio is of primary relevance. This has manifested, among others, in several follow-up projects, including a COST Action grant led by Professor Holden (K-Peritia) and a grant by the Independent Social Research Foundation, which allowed to organize a workshop on the subject at the Jindal Global Law School and has progressed into a special collection project in the Jindal Global Law Review, prompting collaborations between scholars particularly, but not only in Asia and Europe. I believe that significant potential lies ahead, including in exploring the intersections between the research agendas on cultural expertise and on democracy protection, for which not only courts, but also expert witnesses, litigants, journalists and other stakeholders are essential.

06/17/2023

Stanislaw Burdziej

Professor of Sociology

Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Poland

Initially, the concept of cultural expertise did not seem like as particularly significant for Poland. However, over the past few years it became very clear that Poland needs cultural experts and specialised cultural knowledge to assist the courts and other institutions in dispute resolution. My collaboration with prof. Livia Holden proved very inspiring, materialising in two papers (Cultural expertise versus strategic ignorance: confronting cultural diversity in and out of court in Poland, “East European Politics and Societies” 2023, vol. 37(2); Judging the communist past: historians and cultural expertise in Polish Administrative Courts, “Law and History Review” 2020, vol. 38(1) and a chapter on cultural expertise in Poland. More coming soon!

05/13/2023

Muhrisun Afandi

Director of the Institute for Research and Community Engagement

State Islamic University Sunan Kalaijaga, Indonesia

On behalf of the State Islamic University Sunan Kalijaga I would like to express our gratitude for the tremendous collaborative project brought by Professor Livia Holden involving our researchers and colleague judges from Indonesian religious courts. It surely took much courage for this project to introduce such new discourse on women’s rights and justice in Indonesian religious court. The spirit and courage are eloquently expressed by our researchers as well as Muslim judges through their articles published in a book entitled Local Values and Justice for Women in the Indonesian Religious Courts: Best Practices." Our university has conducted projects in collaboration with international universities and various agencies. However, this particular project is essential as it has taken us through different perspectives not only concerning justice for women in religious court but especially the introduction of social science approach in the discourse of Islamic legal studies. The concept of cultural expertise, moreover, highlights that promoting justice for women and women’s rights in general does not merely refer to gender perspectives or theories of feminism but can also be based on local knowledge and wisdom.

05/11/2023

Victoria McCloud

Judge

Judiciary of UK

At a time when humanity faces multiple existential challenges from climate change to the need to address the injustices of colonialisation, there are few things more relevant to justice than incorporating awareness of how cultural considerations impact upon law. The Euro-Expert project outputs provide a significant, practical and relevant basis for future progress in this vital area. I was honoured to be involved peripherally, and honorifically as a judge, but the work of the professional academics in this project is remarkable.

Marie-Claire Foblets

Director of the Department Law & Anthropology, Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

One great merit of the EURO-EXPERT project is that it has given visibility to a particular form of support to justice which is still, surprisingly, seldom practised in Europe, and which deserves to be recognized for the enormous potential it has to offer to practising lawyers, namely, the use of cultural expertise in legal matters. Livia Holden’s efforts in this ERC project are acknowledged by all who have seen her work, and they have borne fruit. Thanks to the EURO-EXPERT project and the wealth of information that is now available, anyone interested can gain a clearer picture of the reality of recourse to cultural expertise in Europe. It is a practice that is implemented in very diverse ways, yet it is certainly still underdeveloped. This latter fact becomes especially glaring when one acknowledges the rapidly increasing number of situations in which competent decision-makers (judges, public administrations, front-line services, etc.) are responsible for devising sustainable solutions based on reliable knowledge of the particular (cultural) contexts involved, but the required expertise that would allow them to reach such decisions is inaccessible. With the work it has already achieved, not least by bringing together an impressive number of researchers and practitioners to work and reflect on the ins and outs of using cultural expertise, EURO-EXPERT has set a course that deserves to be continued. The questions that remain to be addressed are too numerous, the needs too pressing, and the benefits to be gained from responsible deployment of cultural expertise too obvious to stop at the stage that the EURO-EXPERT project has reached to date. This project must absolutely be continued. (29.04.2023)

Candra Boy Seroza

Director for the Development of Religious Court Technical Personnel

Directorate General of the Religious Courts of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Indonesia

I really appreciate the research and collaboration of Prof. Dr. Livia Holden from the Center for Socio-Legal Studies, University of Oxford, with religious courts in 2019 on judges' arguments for their court decisions in Indonesia regarding gender equality explored from local values ​​and their alignment with universal principles of human rights. The research which eventually resulted in a book entitled "Local Values ​​and Justice for Women in the Indonesian Religious Courts: Best Practices" authored by Muslim judges and academicians produces a balanced theoretical and practical approach is very useful for improving the law enforcement with a human rights perspective that involves women as legal subjects within the religious courts. The law has guaranteed that everyone, without discrimination, has the right to obtain justice by submitting requests, complaints and lawsuits, in all criminal, civil, and administrative cases and to be tried through an independent and impartial judicial process, in accordance with procedural law that guarantees objective examination by honest and fair judges to obtain a fair and correct decision. Nonetheless, in practice the realization of justice for women often encounters many obstacles and problems. Religious courts are always committed to improving legal services to the community, especially women who have a very vulnerable social position. Therefore the collaboration and research carried out by Prof. Dr. livia Holden is very useful for increasing our commitment to legal protection for women seeking justice and improving the quality of legal services for the community. (21.04.23)

Joxerramon Bengoetxea

Professor of Jurisprudence

University of the Basque Country

I have known about Euro-Expert since its inception. It was originally planned to operate at the International Institute for the Sociology of Law, but it needed a more stable environment. The project has done amazing contributions in a topic that is of increasing practicality. Livia Holden is a very innovative academic, reaching out to practical fields in institutions. Euro-Expert has added value to the state of play of cultural expertise in institutions. Public institutions are the obvious starting point, but the subject will extend to private organisations and have an impact on governance of complex organisations. (12.04.2023)