Conference proceedings of the international symposium “Terrorism in Court – National Courts as Empirical and Epistemic Field in Terrorism and Violence Research” from November 7 to 9, 2022, at the Center for Interdisciplinary Research (ZiF), Bielefeld Univ

Abstract

From November 7 to 9, 2022, we, the conference organizers and authors of this report, hosted an interdisciplinary group of international scholars at the Center for Interdisciplinary Research (ZiF) in Bielefeld, Germany. The event was funded by the german foundation for peace research (DSF; grant 08/22-FB2-TG). The conference was oriented toward a growing community of international researchers from different academic disciplines with extensive expertise in conducting courtroom research to provide a conflict-sensitive and critical perspective on the situation in the courtroom itself and/or on the construction of “terrorism” and “terrorists” as socially embedded phenomena. The event, in which 24 international scholars participated, was part of the ongoing collective effort (by us and our colleagues) to systematize contemporary scholarly work within the field of courtroom research. In particular, we had identified the need for interdisciplinary exchange regarding disciplinary conceptual approaches, current empirical research, field-specific methodical designs and comparative studies. The conference was planned and conducted with a particular attention to inclusiveness and diversity in regard to academic background, career status and geographical origin.