Department for Sociology and Law

Department Description

The research activity of the legal sciences team is focused, in particular, on understanding the fundamental values ​​of law and the most appropriate ways in which they can beneficially influence the life of the community.

The way in which members of society perceive and relate to values ​​such as justice, truth, legality, and fairness is of particular importance in defining and accepting the role that judicial activity has in society. The extent to which these values ​​are incident throughout the entire trajectory of legal norms, from their adoption to their application, as well as the need for a correct interpretation of the message that the legislator wanted to convey through them, also justifies the importance of research activity in this field.

Confining oneself exclusively to the legal sphere would limit the possibility of knowledge and understanding of values, which is why the members of the team approach interdisciplinary research, namely the transfer of concepts and methodology, in order to allow a more adequate description of the researched problems, a complex understanding of institutions, processes and phenomena, on the various levels of reality. Only through an integrative approach, from the perspective of several academic disciplines, such as philosophy of law, ethics or political sciences, is it possible to comprehensively understand the legal field.

The activity of the members of the team is focused on fundamental research. The research themes addressed are circumscribed to various areas, both from branches of law such as constitutional law, criminal procedural law, public international law, and with a multidisciplinary content: philosophy of law and legal ethics.

ICES-6 PROGRAM: FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEMS OF LEGAL SCIENCES

Program Pbjective: Disciplinary, multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary investigation of priority issues in public law (especially issues concerning the interpretation and application of legal norms or ways of adapting the legal system to the realities of contemporary social relations and issues specific to international law).

Hypotheses/Premises: Two of the most important problems of public law concern the interpretation and application of legal norms and the ways of adapting the legal system to the realities of contemporary social relations. Research on these topics is vital for achieving objectives such as the elimination/improvement of contradictory judicial practice or the resolution of litigious legal relations in accordance with the principle of definitive resolution of the conflict between the parties, with the idea of ​​justice and with the principle of correspondence with the truth. At the same time, globalization, regionalization and the incidence of phenomena or events such as genocide, ethnic cleansing or new forms of terrorism make it imperative to research international law issues such as international/global responsibility and justice. Investigating these issues requires both research specific to public law and research on topics from related fields (such as social sciences, philosophy of law or political philosophy).

ICES-6 research projects

Representative Publications

Books

• Aurora Ciucă, Mihai Lupu (coord.), Great jurists and diplomats from interwar Romania, “Al. I. Cuza” University Publishing House, Iași, 2020, 216 p. ISBN, 978-606-714-583-0.
• Mihai Lupu, Constitutionalization of Law, 2nd edition, Universul Juridic Publishing House, Bucharest, 2020, 230 p., ISBN 978-606-39-0728-9.
• Alexandru Sava, Legal awareness – an essential component of civil society, Junimea Publishing House, Iași, 2010, 232 p. ISBN 978-973-37-1498-9.
• Alexandru Sava, Towards a Single European Judicial System, Junimea Publishing House, Iași, 2006, 166 p., ISBN 973-37-1221-3.
• Alexandru Sava, The Social Component of the Act of Justice, Junimea Publishing House, Iași, “Jus” Series 2004, 178 p. ISBN 973-37-0984-0
• Alexandru Sava, The Assessment of Evidence in Criminal Proceedings, Junimea Publishing House, “Jus” Series, Iași, 2002, 220 p.

Studies and Articles

• Alexandru Sava, “Withdrawal, by the defendant, of the consent to conclude the plea agreement – comparative law“, JRLS – Journal of Romanian Literary Studies, no. 38/2024, Arhipelag XXI Press Publishing House, pp. 362-369, ISSN: 2248-3004 (CEEOL indexing), link: https://asociatia-alpha.ro/jrls/38-2024-Jrls.pdf.
• Alexandru Sava, “Negotiated justice in international prosecutions and criminal courts“, JRLS – Journal of Romanian Literary Studies, no. 35/2023, Arhipelag XXI Press Publishing House, pp. 486-495, ISSN: 2248-3004 (CEEOL indexing), link: https://issuu.com/dumitrubuda/docs/jrls_35_v1?fr=xKAE9_zU1NQ.
• Alexandru Sava, “Gender Issues in International Negotiations“, in the volume of the international conference Problematica feministă, May 26, 2023, Marinela Rusu (coord.), Performantica Publishing House, Iași, pp. 167-179, ISBN: 978-630-328-000-4.
• Alexandru Sava, “The Individual vs. the Collective Interest in Negotiated Justice“, in the volume of the international conference GIDNI10, May 20-21, 2023, Alpha Institute for Multicultural Studies, Arhipelag XXI Publishing House, Tîrgu Mureș, pp. 196-203, ISBN: 978-606-8624-18-1, link: http://asociatia-alpha.ro/gidni/10-2023/GIDNI-10-Socs-c.pdf.
• Alexandru Sava, “Creativity in dealing with some conflicting principles of law” – in Marinela Rusu, Genius, talent, creativity – a psycho-pedagogical and socio-cultural approach, Performantica Publishing House, Iași, 2022, pp. 101-106. ISBN 978-606-685-905-9.
• Alexandru Sava, “Reality and theory in dealing with conflicting principles of law” – in Iulian Boldea (editor), Culture in Globalization: Identities and Nations Connected (GIDNI9 – Social Sciences), Arhipelag XXI Press, Tîrgu Mureș, 2022, pp. 245-252.
• Lavinia Andreea Codrea, “Protection of pet animals in Romanian legislation”, in Irina Frasin, George Bodi, Codrin Dinu-Vasiliu (coord.), Studii de antrozoologie. Ethics and the Non-Human World, Cluj University Press, Cluj-Napoca, 2021, 197 p., ISBN: 978-606-37-1203-6, pp. 155-175, link: http://www.editura.ubbcluj.ro/www/ro/ebooks/authors_d.php?ida=1926.
• Alexandru Sava, “Limits of Communication in Negotiated Justice”, in Marinela Rusu (coord.), Interpersonal Communication. Psychological and Philosophical Interpretations, vol. I, Performantica Publishing House, Iași, 2021, pp. 130-140. ISBN 978-606-685-793-2.
• Lavinia Andreea Codrea, “Impartiality and the Judge’s Conscience”, in Aurora Hrițuleac, Liviu-Adrian Măgurianu (coord.), The Paradigm of Consciousness – Multi- and Interdisciplinary Approaches. Concepts, theories and practices, Pro Universitaria Publishing House, Bucharest, 2020, 259 p., ISBN: 978-606-26-1261-0, pp. 234-259.
• Mihai Lupu, “Normativity in interwar Romania. Sources and legitimacy”, in Aurora Ciucă, Mihai Lupu, (coordinators), Great jurists and diplomats from interwar Romania, “Al. I. Cuza” University Publishing House, Iași, 2020, pp. 195-211.
• Alexandru Sava, “Queen Maria in interwar Romanian diplomacy”, in Aurora Ciucă, Mihai Lupu (coordinators), Great jurists and diplomats from interwar Romania, “Al. I. Cuza” University Publishing House, Iași, 2020, pp. 133-149.
• Alexandru Sava, „Jurisprudența contradictorie – ca efect al personalității judecătorului”, în Creativitatea și dezvoltarea personală, vol. II, Editura Perfomantica, , Iași, 2020, pp. 104-111. ISBN 978-606-685-718-5.
• Mihai Lupu, ”The Juridical Approach to Truth”, Journal of Legal Studies, XIII, 3-4, 2018, pp. 56-64 (indexed CEEOL, CrossRef, Index Copernicus, RePeC, EconPapers, HeinOnline).
• Mihai Lupu, ”Legal Implications of Political Discourse”, Journal of Romanian Literary Studies, 6, 15, 2018, pp. 717-722 (indexed ERIH Plus, CEEOL).
• Mihai Lupu, “The Effects of the Decisions of the Romanian Constitutional Court in Criminal Matters”, in Aurora Ciucă (ed.), 100 Years of Romanian Legal Thought. Vespasian V. Pella and the development of international and national criminal law, “Al. I. Cuza” University Press, Iași, 2018.
• Alexandru Sava, “Different perceptions of authority”, Ideo: Romanian Journal of Philosophical and Social Studies, 2, 1, 2017, pp. 16-21 (indexed CEEOL).
• Lavinia Andreea Bejan, “Extending the application of the European Convention on Human Rights in matters of asylum: Protection through ricochet”, in Ideo: Romanian Journal of Philosophical and Social Studies, Vol. 1 (2016), Issue 1, pp. 43-64.
• Lavinia Andreea Bejan, “The Role of the Court of Justice of the European Union’s Rulings in Matters of Asylum and Immigration”, in Maria Micle, Claudiu Mesaroș (coord.), Communication Today: An Overview from Online Journalism to Applied Philosophy, Trivent Publishing, Budapest, 2016, pp. 237-251, link: https://trivent-publishing.eu/home/41-communication-today-an-overview-from-online-journalism-to-applied-philosophy.html.
• Lavinia Andreea Bejan, “From Moral Responsibility to Legal Responsibility in the Conduct of War”, in Symposion. Theoretical and Applied Inquiries in Philosophy and Social Sciences, vol. 2, no. 3, 2015, pp. 347-362, https://www.pdcnet.org/symposion/content/symposion_2015_0002_0003_0347_0362 (indexed EBSCO, ERIH PLUS, Philosophy Documentation Center, SCOPUS).
• Lavinia Andreea Bejan, “Legal and Political Issues Concerning the Punishment of War Criminals in the Years of the First World War”, in Rethinking Social Action. Core Values, Medimond Publishing Company, 2015, pp. 149-154 (indexed in Clarivate Web of Science Core Collection).
• Mihai Lupu, “The Contribution of Legal Formalism in the Changes of the Romanian Legal System past 1989”, Journal of Public Administration, Finance and Law, special issue 2/2015 (indexed in Index Copernicus, EBSCO, CEEOL, DOAJ, Ulrich’S, Cabell, ERIH Plus).
• Mihai Lupu, “Financing Territorial Administrative Units from the Budget Reserve Fund of the Romanian Government on Political Criteria”, Acta Universitatis Danubius. Administratio, 7, 1/2015 (indexed CEEOL, EBSCO).
• Lavinia Andreea Bejan, “Institutional Difficulties of the United Nations in the Effective Punishing of Aggression. Deficiencies of the Established Relationship Between the Security Council and the International Court of Justice”, in Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, vol. 163, dec. 2014, Elsevier-Science Direct, pp. 230-239.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.12.311.
• Alexandru Sava, “Richard Thompson Ford, Rights Gone Wrong – How Law Corrupts the Struggle for Equality”, in Symposion, Journal of Socio-Human Sciences, Romanian Academy, Iași Branch, “Gh. Zane” Institute for Economic and Social Research, Volume XI, No. 1(21), 2013, pp. 177-184. ISSN 1584-174X.

Periodic Activities

The sociology and law collective organizes two national symposia and a round table annually within the “Gh. Zane” Institute for Economic and Social Research: a symposium entitled Problems of Legal Sciences, within the conference series Iași Academic Days, focused on a transdisciplinary theme, the other symposium titled each year depending on the topic in criminal, constitutional or public international procedural law addressed within it; some members are also involved in the organization through inter-institutional collaboration of at least two more conferences, one of which is international in nature. Also, two members of the collective are part of the editorial board of the journal Symposion – Theoretical and Applied Inquiries in Philosophy and Social Sciences, an international publication edited under the coordination of the Institute’s Philosophy and Logic Collective.

The international conference organized by the members of the collective, The Institution of the Family. Tradition, Reform, Uniformization and Perspectives, had its first edition in 2019, and will become a biennial scientific event. The conference was organized in collaboration with the International Association of Law and Related Sciences, Michigan State University, College of Law and the Center for Social and Humanistic Research “Lumen”. The purpose of the conference is to bring together specialists from various fields, the integrative approach to the institution of the family and the opening of dialogue between representatives of legal and socio-human sciences to establish legal norms that reflect the concern for the harmonious development of family relations. The criteria pursued are: the combination of traditional and current affairs; national, European and international perspectives; interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity.

Projects with Extrabudgetary Funding

GAR-UM-2019-XII-3.1-6/15.10.2019 The concept of existential authenticity and the challenges of contemporary post-modern society, 2019-2021) (research team member: Lavinia Andreea Bejan).

POSDRU/159/1.5/S/133675 Innovation and development in the structuring and representation of knowledge through doctoral and postdoctoral scholarships, 2014-2015 (scholar: Lavinia Andreea Bejan).

Partnerships

Since 2018, the members of the legal sciences team have carried out a series of joint activities with the “Vespasian V. Pella” Association: organizing annual conferences, publishing collective volumes, educational activities with young lawyers. Since 2019, there has been a collaboration with the “Dunărea de Jos” University of Galați, materialized by organizing scientific events, conferences and round tables.