The European Yearbook of Constitutional Law is pleased to announce a call for submissions for its eighth volume (2026) on the theme of Social Rights and Constitutional Justice.
Social rights – such as the rights to housing, healthcare, education, and social security – are gaining increased prominence in constitutional discourse, particularly in the light of widening inequalities, global health emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic, and the far-reaching socio-economic effects of migration and climate change. These rights embody the promise of a constitutional order that not only protects individual freedoms but also guarantees the material conditions essential for a dignified life. Yet their effective realisation remains deeply contested. Beyond political resistance and resource constraints, social rights must also contend with entrenched conceptions of constitutions as instruments of limitation rather than empowerment – as frameworks that constrain state action rather than mandate proactive social provision. This tension raises fundamental questions about the evolving role of constitutional law in securing substantive equality and social justice in the 21st century.
While the judicialisation of social rights claims is gaining momentum in Europe and beyond, this volume seeks to explore social rights in a broader and more integrated sense, situating them within the framework of constitutional justice. Rather than focusing solely on judicial review, the volume will examine constitutional justice as a multi-actor and systemic effort to realise social rights in ways that promote equality, inclusion and human dignity. Thus, constitutional justice is a multifaceted process that encompasses legislative choices, administrative implementation, and institutional accountability. The volume will consider how constitutions structure the duties of the state and its institutions in securing the basic conditions necessary for human dignity, and how a range of actors – parliaments, governments, courts, and civil society – collaborate, contest, and contribute to the definition, interpretation, and realisation of social rights. In doing so, the volume invites reflection on how constitutional systems can respond to enduring inequalities through both legal mechanisms and democratic engagement.
Submissions may address, but are not limited to, the following topics:
The constitutional tools available to lawmakers and policymakers in building social protection systems that align with social rights.
The interaction between legislatures and courts in defining the scope and limits of social rights, with attention to constitutional dialogue, judicial deference, and institutional roles.
The role of regional courts – such as the European Court of Human Rights, the Court of Justice of the European Union or the Inter-American Court of Human Rights – in shaping the normative content of social rights.
The tensions between judicial enforcement and democratic legitimacy, especially in cases of judicial intervention in budgetary or redistributive policies, and how courts deal with separation of powers concerns.
The ways in which constitutional systems respond to structural social exclusion, including along lines of race, gender, disability, or migration status.
The concept of constitutional justice and its implications for social rights and constitutionalism, including its relationship to legitimacy, participation, and state accountability.
Lessons from global experiences, such as transformative constitutionalism in South Africa and India or social rights litigation in Latin America.
Although the EYCL focuses primarily on constitutional law and constitutionalism, it actively encourages interdisciplinary submissions from scholars examining the theme through historical, political science, economic, (social-)geographical, or anthropological perspectives. The EYCL is interested in submissions that examine the theme with reference to the European experience, but contributions on its wider application to other regions and organisations are also explicitly invited, including those located in the Global South.
DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: 1 June 2025, although earlier submissions are encouraged.
PROPOSAL SUBMISSION: Proposals of 350 to 500 words should be submitted to [email protected]. Please put ‘Proposed paper, volume 8’ in the subject line of your email. Proposals should clearly outline the proposed contribution’s main arguments, methodology, and relevance to the volume’s theme. Successful applicants will be notified by 1 July 2025. Complete papers must be submitted by 1 December 2025. Manuscripts should be no longer than 10,000 words, including footnotes. In preparing their manuscript, authors should follow the EYCL Style Guide, which will be sent to them when notified about their successful application. Decisions to publish a submission are based on editorial and double-blind peer review.