African languages play a central role in the development of the continent and access to local knowledge. Yet in many African countries, law as practiced by state institutions is expressed primarily in languages inherited from colonization, marginalizing African languages and creating a gap between legal texts and citizens. Language thus becomes a barrier to equitable access to law.
The call for papers under the theme “Access to law in African languages: terminology and comparative perspectives”aims to explore issues related to the creation, standardization, and dissemination of legal terminology in African languages and encourages contributions that place different legal systems and their languages of expression and practice in perspective. The call addresses researchers, jurists, and translators.
Submission deadline is 31. March 2026.
For further information please consult the website of the University of Trento.