Call for Papers
Annual Conference 2026
Law, Economics, and Justice: Institutions, Markets, and Access in India
9–10 October 2026
Organised by
Centre for Development Policy and Practice (CDPP)
in collaboration with
Economic Policy Centre, Mahindra University, Hyderabad
About the Conference
Legal systems play a foundational role in shaping democratic governance and economic activity. Effective legal institutions enable contract enforcement, reduce transaction costs, and foster trust in markets, while also ensuring rights, equity, and accountability. Conversely, judicial delays, high costs, and procedural complexity weaken economic performance and restrict access to justice.
In India, structural challenges—including case backlogs, uneven institutional capacity, and barriers to legal representation—continue to limit timely and equitable legal redressal. These challenges have implications not only for individuals, particularly those within the criminal justice system, but also for broader economic outcomes such as investment, labour market functioning, and regulatory efficiency.
Legal frameworks also shape distributional outcomes through labour laws, influence market behaviour through competition and trade regulations, and affect the ease of doing business through the predictability and speed of dispute resolution. The business environment is further shaped by legal and regulatory frameworks governing competition policy, international trade, and the protection of property rights. It is therefore important to examine the optimal level of regulation—ensuring that regulatory standards do not undermine economic activity while preventing excessive deregulation that may compromise equitable and sustainable growth.
While technological innovations such as digital courts and artificial intelligence are increasingly positioned as solutions, their impact must be understood within broader institutional contexts. Technology can enhance efficiency, but without addressing structural constraints, it may reproduce or deepen existing inequalities.
This conference seeks to examine legal systems as institutions that simultaneously shape markets, governance, and access to justice, bringing together perspectives from law, economics, and public policy.
Conference Focus
The conference will bring together scholars, practitioners, policymakers, and early-career researchers to examine:
Key Thematic Areas
1. Law, Markets, and Economic Performance
2. Regulation, Labour, and Market Governance
3. Access to Justice and Legal Inequality
4. Institutions, Technology, and Legal Reform
Call for Submissions
The organisers invite original and unpublished submissions from:
Submission Categories
Indicative Themes
Submissions may address (but are not limited to):
Interdisciplinary approaches are strongly encouraged.
Submission Guidelines
Full Paper Length
Note: Submissions must be original and not under consideration elsewhere.
Submission and Engagement Timeline
Paper Development Process
Selected papers will undergo a structured multi-stage engagement process, including:
Conference Format
The conference adopts a collaborative model, including:
Pre-reads (abstracts and synopses) will be circulated in advance to enable informed discussion.
Expected Outcomes
