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My research interest are at the intersection of law and politics, and my main contribution to the field of socio-legal studies is the conceptualisation, theorisation and empirical study of the use of law and legal institutions at a political tool and strategy for social change. Through a range of collaborative projects, my colleagues and I have explored the use of law as a political strategy in different contexts, how it is engaged by diverse actors, and in various policy fields and institutional arenas. This includes conceptualising and analysing how actors face different legal and political opportunity structures based on their resources, barriers and allies, as well as how they are normative and epistemically embedded. 

In recent years I have particularly focused on what is theorised as lawfare:  the use of legal arenas and strategies in long-standing, iterative political battles between starkly opposed groups.  Based on this theoretical core, we have developed analytical frameworks and comparative studies to systematically explore legal-political dynamics and lawfare processes across regions and thematic fields.

I have extensive experience leading international, interdisciplinary research teams. Over the last ten years, I have been the PI for six multi-year projects, acquired through competitive grants and involving researchers from institutions on five continents and from a range of disciplines (Law, Political Science, Anthropology, Economics, Psychology, Philosophy, Medicine). I have also played a central role in acquiring grants for and implementing eight other research projects in this period. The projects focus on the role of rights, law and courts in political change and social development, investigating how this plays out in different fields – from climate change, indigenous rights, land- and water rights, via health, reproductive right and gender equality, to elections and autocratization dynamics.  Commitment to excellent, interdisciplinary, research addressing urgent global challenges is at the centre of the projects, which are ambitious in terms of theory development, methodology and empirical analysis. They are also implemented in close dialogue with practitioners and students.

The close integration of research and learning are also at the core of the Centre on Law & Social Transformation (LawTransform) of which I am the founding director. LawTransform is jointly owned by the Chr. Michelsen Institute and the University of Bergen but is a global Centre with fellows from all continents and a wide range of disciplines. The annual research conference, Bergen Exchanges on Law & Social Transformation – which includes a PhD course – brings together internationally leading scholars, students and practitioners and have become a vitalizing space for socio-legal research in Bergen and a global hub for research on law and social change. LawTransform, and the individual research projects involve practitioners – judges, policy makers, activist – as dialogue partners to secure that their insights are reflected, that the projects are useful, and the findings known. I have also extended the research into more directly applied work (World Bank, Norad).

I have developed and taught a range of courses, including fully digital courses – at ���ϳԹ���Դ:

PhD Courses:

(2015-2024); Gendered Autucratisation  (2024); (2020, 2014); ); Rights as Governance & Political Tools: Gender Based Violence (2018); Inequality & Governance (2015); Health Litigation (2010); Human Rights & Poverty (2008)

MA Courses:

(with ���ϳԹ���Դ Law School 2014-2024); Climate Change Governance (2021 2013)  Law as Political Strategy (2017, 2018); Breaking BAD, Backlash against democracy (2019); Deepening Democracy - Democratic Innovations (2012) Previous courses: Checking the State; Constitutionalism; Citizenship; Human Rights & Social Justice; International Justice

BA Courses:

Law, Politics & Welfare (2024)

Courts, Law & Politics ( 2015-2021) Political Theory (1995-2000)

Academic article

Academic book chapter

Lecture

Conference lecture

Media feature article

Book anthology

Master’s thesis

Doctoral thesis (PhD)

Journal review

Media interview

Conference poster

Letter to the editor

Popular science article

Research report

Editorial/Leader article

Non-fiction monograph

Academic literature review

Popular science book chapter

Non-fiction book chapter

Academic monograph

Other presentation

Selected publications:

Articles and chapters:     

• "Public participation in decisions about measures to manage the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review." With Munthe-Kaas, Heather Menzies, et al. "BMJ Global Health 9.6 (2024): e014404.
• “Butterfly judging”. With C.Vallejo  in C.R. Garavito (ed) Litigating the Climate Crisis. Cambridge University Press.  (2023)
• “Legal Strategies: Constitutional, Administrative, Judicial and discursive Lawfare” with T. Gerzo and N. VandeWalle  in Arriola, et al Democratic Backsliding in Africa?  Oxford University Press (2023)  (open access:https://academic.oup.com/book/45327)
• “Malawi: Democratic fits and starts” With F. Kanyongolo et al. in Arriola et al. Democratic Backsliding in Africa?  Oxford University Press (2023) (open access:https://academic.oup.com/book/45327)
• "The Lancet Commission on peaceful societies through health equity and gender equality." With Percival, Valerie, et al.The Lancet 402.10413 (2023): 1661-1722.
• “Zimbabwe: Contested Autocratization” with S., M. Hinfelaar et al. in Arriola et al. Democratic Backsliding in Africa?  Oxford University Press. (2022)  (open access:https://academic.oup.com/book/45327)
• Queer Lawfare in Africa Legal strategies in contexts of LGBTIQ+ criminalisation and politicization. Co-edited with Jjuuko.al Three co-authored chapters. PULP press (2022)  (open acess)
• «A View from Norther Europe” in The Oxford Handbook of Constitutional Law in Latin America (2022) Oxford University Press.
• Gloppen, S. (2021) "Conceptualizing Abortion Lawfare." Revista Direito GV 17 (2021).
• "Difficult trade-offs in response to COVID-19: the case for open and inclusive decision making". with Norheim, O. F., … Gloppen, S., & Voorhoeve, A. (2021). in Nature Medicine, 1-4
• "Constitutionalising the Right to Water in Kenya and Slovenia": with M. Loen in Water, 13(24)(2021), 3548.
• “The Climate Crisis: Litigation and Economic, Social and Cultural Rights”. With Catalina Vallejo. in Dugard et.al. (eds) Research Handbook on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights as Human Rights. Edward Elgar Publishing, (2020).
• “LGBT rights in Africa” With Lise Rakner. Chapter 15 in Ashford, C., & Maine, Research Handbook on Gender, Sexuality, and the Law. Edward Elgar, (2020)
• “Political determinants of sustainable development goals.” With Camila Gianella and Marta Machado, The Lancet 390.10112 (2017): 2545-2546.
• “Studying Courts in Context” in LD Haglund & R Stryker, (eds) Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights: Emerging Possibilities for Social Transformation. University of California Press (2015)
• “Grabbing development: Courts, corruption and judicial independence” In T. Søreide & A. Williams (eds) Corruption, Grabbing and Development: Real World Challenges. E. Elgar Publ. (2014)
• “Red-Green Lawfare: Climate Justice Discourse in Courtrooms” with Catalina Vallejo, in (J. Dugard et al eds) Climate Talk: Rights, Poverty & Justice (Juta, 2014)
• “Judging the price of life: cost considerations in right-to-health litigation” with Octavio Ferraz, Ottar Mæstad, and Lise Rakner, in H. Aasen et al. (Eds.). (2014). Juridification and social citizenship in the welfare state. Edward Elgar Publishing (2014).
• “Human Rights Based Approaches to Development: Concepts, Evidence, and Policy”, with Varun Gauri, Polity, 44(4): pp 485–50 (2012)
• “Climate Change Lawfare” with Asun St Clair, Social Inquiry. 79(4), 2012, pp 899-930)
• “Judicial independence and judicialization of electoral politics in Malawi and Uganda”. With Fidelis Edge Kanyongolo In D Chirwa & L. Nijzink,  Accountable Government in Africa: Perspectives from Public Law and Political Science. University of Cape Town Press/UN University Press (2012)

Books:

• Juridification & Social Citizenship. Ed. with Henriette Aasen, Anne M Magnussen & Even Nilssen (E. Elgar, 2014)
• Klima, medier og politikk. With Elisabeth Eide, Dag Elgesem, Lise Rakner, L. (Eds.). (2014). Abstrakt forlag AS.
• Climate Talk: Rights, Poverty & Justice. With Jackie Dugard & Asun L. St.Clair (Eds) (Juta, 2013)
• Litigating Health Rights: Can Courts Bring Justice to Health. With Alicia E Yamin (Eds) HLS Human Rights Programme Series with Harvard University Press (2011). Spanish Translation published by Siglo XXI (Argentina) in March 2013
• Courts and Power in Latin America and Africa. Co-authored with Bruce Wilson, Roberto Gargarella, Elin Skaar Palgrave McMillan (2010)
• Globalization and Democratization: Challenges for Political Parties. Ed. with L. Rakner. Fagbokforlaget (2007).
• Roads to Reconciliation. Ed. with E. Skaar and A. Suhrke. Lexington Books (2005)
• Democratization  and the Judiciary. Ed. with R. Gargarella and E. Skaar) London: Frank Cass (2004)
• South Africa: Battle over the Constitution. Ashgate (1997)

- Director -  (���ϳԹ���Դ - CMI 2014-) 

- PI - (���ϳԹ���Դ - CMI 2016-2021)

- PI - (���ϳԹ���Դ - 2017-2022)

- PI -  (���ϳԹ���Դ - CMI 2014-2018)

- Research coordinator 2013-2015 -  (University of Oslo, Faculty of Law - Centre of Excellence, 2013-)

- Team member -  (���ϳԹ���Դ - CMI 2014-2017)

- PI - (���ϳԹ���Դ - CMI 2013-2016)

- PI - Institutionalizing the Right to Health in Health Service Delivery (Norad/CMI/World Bank 2014-2016)

- Team member -  (���ϳԹ���Դ - CMI 2010-2012)

- PI - (Co-operation between CMI, Faculty of Medicine, ���ϳԹ���Դ, Harvard University, researchers in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, South Africa, India, Bangladesh - 2008-2012)