GNLU Centre For Research In Criminal Justice Sciences (GCRCJS) To Host International Conference On Criminal Law in Feb-March 2026: Call for Papers Open

The GNLU Centre for Research in Criminal Justice Sciences (GCRCJS) is a specialised Research Centre focused on advancing the study of criminal law through comprehensive research and academic discussions. Since its inception, GCRCJS has organised numerous significant events, including the 13th Asian Criminology Conference, 1st and 2nd GCRCJS International Conference on Crime & Technology, and multiple editions of our flagship Legislative Drafting Competition. GCRCJS actively facilitates the exchange of ideas through initiatives like the 'Crime and Justice: A Discourse Series,' the newsletter: 'The Crime and Justice Gazette,' and the blog: 'Crime & Justice Blog.'

The Centre actively fosters knowledge exchange through its discourse series, newsletter, and blog, featuring prominent legal personalities such as sitting judges of the Supreme Court and Gujarat High Court, as well as leading advocates from the Supreme Court of India.

About The Conference

The GCRCJS International Conference on International Criminal Law, 2026 is a continuation of the Centre's efforts to foster international academic collaboration in the field of criminal justice. It follows the success of previous GCRCJS international conferences, which have attracted participation from renowned scholars, practitioners, and researchers across the globe. The 2026 conference aims to encourage academic inquiry into contemporary challenges faced by international criminal law and to explore pathways for strengthening accountability and cooperation in the global justice system.

Conference Themes

The conference will primarily focus on “Reinvigorating International Criminal Law by Innovation, Inclusivity, and Global Accountability”.

Suggestive Sub-Themes:

A. Reviving International Criminal Law: Institutional Challenges and Reforms

· Institutional Gridlock and ICC's Credibility Crisis

· Sovereignty vs. International Intervention

· Selective Justice and Political Bias

· Alliance of Domestic Laws with ICL

· Procedural Fairness and Rights of the Accused

B. War Crimes, Victim-Centered Justice and Innovation in Evidence

· Crimes against Humanity, Genocide and prevalence in 21st Century

· New Frontiers in Warfare and Accountability

· Child Victims of War and Post-Conflict Rehabilitation

· Innovation in Evidence and Investigation

· Cross Country Collaboration for Investigation of International Crimes

C. Gender, Identity, and Reproductive Justice in International Criminal Law

· Sexual and Reproductive Violence as International Crimes

· LGBTQ+ Rights and Expanding Definitions of Gender Based Crimes

· Gender Justice in ICL Institutions

D. Emerging Issues in International Criminal Law

· Corporate Liability

· Terror Financing, Technology and Cybercrime

· Cyber Warfare and AI

· Ecocide and Environmental Harm

· Non-State and Transnational Actors

· Maritime Piracy in the 21st Century

*The above themes and sub-themes are merely indicative in nature and not exhaustive. Participants may submit an abstract on any contemporary, relevant, and connected issue of international criminal law.

Call For Papers

Research Papers on the above theme and sub-themes are invited from faculties, researchers, students, Criminal Justice Professionals, NGO practitioners, and experts in the fields of Criminology, Victimology, Law, Sociology, international relations, human rights, gender studies, technology, environmental studies, and allied sciences.

Submission Process

· Abstract Submission & Registration: Submit an abstract (maximum 300 words) and register through this Google Form.

· Notification of Acceptance: Authors will be notified of acceptance via email.

· Full Paper Submission & Registration Fee Payment: Upon acceptance, authors must submit the full paper and pay the registration fee.

· Co-authorship: Permitted up to two authors.

The abstract and the full papers should only be submitted via the provided Google Forms. Submissions made through email or other channels will not be considered.

For further details related to the registration and submission process, please refer to the brochure attached with this email.

Prizes & Certificates

Awards: Awards will be given for the top three research papers of the conference across all the sessions.

Certificate: All the participants who will be presenting a paper will receive a Certificate of Participation whereas the winners of the GCRCJS Student Best Paper Award will be awarded a Certificate of Merit.

Prize Money:

1st Prize: INR 15,000/-

2^nd Prize: INR 10,000/-

3^rd Prize: INR 5,000/-

Mode Of The Conference

The conference will be conducted in offline mode only.

*Foreign participants may be provided with limited virtual participation upon request on a case-by-case basis.

Participation Fees

*All amounts mentioned are exclusive of GST and other charges as may be applicable. Charges for Accommodation shall be communicated to the selected authors post abstract acceptance.

Participants from SAARC nations are eligible for a reduction in fees, subject to the submission of adequate proof of nationality or institutional affiliation. For any further queries, contact us at confgcrcjs@gnlu.ac.in.

Abstract Submission Guidelines

Authors must adhere to the following guidelines for the abstract:

· The participants are requested to submit an abstract of a maximum of 300 words in a Microsoft Word document;

· Font style – (Italic) Times New Roman;

· Font Size – 12; line spacing – 1.5;

· The abstract may include keywords (maximum: five);

· The abstract must include a clear indication of the objectives, major results and implications;

· All abstracts will be subject to blind review and only those abstracts approved by the reviewers will be selected to submit their complete paper for the final presentation;

· The criteria for evaluation are Relevance, Methodology and Originality.

Important Dates

· Abstract Submission Deadline: 20th November 2025

· Notification of Acceptance: 30th November 2025

· Full Paper Submission & Fee Payment: 31st January 2026

· Conference Dates: 28th February - 1st March 2026

Points Of Contact

For any queries, contact at confgcrcjs@gnlu.ac.in or

· Mr. Vatshal Raval, Student Convenor: +91 92653 84215

· Mr. Shivam Agrawal, Student Convenor: +91 94130 29413

· Ms. Sonia Dhawan, Student Co-Convenor: +91 73077 91958

· Ms. Durlabhya Singh, Student Co-Convenor: +91 78500 73174

For more details refer to the brochure here