What is the format of the UiTM i-CLaS 2026 conference?

The conference is an in-person event, providing a direct platform for interaction and discussion.

When does the UiTM i-CLaS 2026 conference occur?

The conference is scheduled to take place over two days in the fall.

6th UiTM International Conference on Law & Society 2026 (UiTM i-CLaS 2026)

Oct 13–14, 2026Shah Alam, MalaysiaVirtual

The 6th UiTM International Conference on Law & Society (UiTM i-CLaS 2026) is set to convene in Shah Alam, Malaysia. This conference serves as a pivotal platform for legal scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to engage in discourse on contemporary issues at the intersection of law and society. Organized by a prominent academic institution, the event aims to foster a deeper understanding of legal frameworks and their societal implications. The conference will explore a wide array of topics, reflecting the dynamic nature of legal and social challenges in the modern world. Participants will have the opportunity to present research, share insights, and collaborate on solutions to pressing global and regional concerns. The focus on law and society underscores the intricate relationship between legal principles and the lived experiences of communities.

Committees & topics

Topics
Law, Power and Accountability in Digital and Divided Society · Legal Education in a Transforming Global Order · Law, Science and Technology · Criminal Law and Criminology · Alternative Dispute Resolution · Constitutional Law, Human Rights, and Legal Ethics · Land Use and Planning Law · Building and Construction Law

Why it matters

The UiTM i-CLaS 2026 conference is significant because it brings together diverse perspectives to address complex legal and social issues. In an increasingly interconnected world, understanding how legal systems interact with societal norms, technological advancements, and cultural shifts is crucial. The discussions held at this event can contribute to the development of more equitable and effective legal policies.

Furthermore, the conference's location in Shah Alam, Malaysia, highlights the growing importance of legal scholarship from the Asia region. It provides a unique opportunity for regional voices to contribute to global legal discourse, offering insights that are often overlooked in Western-centric analyses. This geographical context enriches the dialogue and promotes a more inclusive understanding of legal challenges and solutions.

The exchange of ideas among participants from various backgrounds can lead to innovative approaches in legal practice and theory. By examining the impact of law on society and vice versa, the conference helps to bridge the gap between academic research and practical application, ultimately aiming to improve governance and social justice outcomes.

How to prepare

Delegates preparing for UiTM i-CLaS 2026 should consider conducting a thorough stakeholder analysis to understand the various actors involved in the legal and societal issues being discussed. Utilizing frameworks such as What Is Stakeholder Mapping? and The Power-Interest Grid can help in identifying key individuals and groups, their interests, and their potential influence on policy and legal reforms.

Understanding the nuances of different perspectives is vital. Participants should explore Hidden Stakeholders to ensure a comprehensive view of the issues, recognizing that not all influential parties are immediately apparent. Developing Engagement Strategies tailored to various stakeholder groups will be crucial for effective participation and advocacy during the conference.

Given the dynamic nature of law and society, applying Dynamic Analysis to track evolving trends and potential shifts in legal landscapes is highly recommended. This will enable delegates to present well-informed arguments and contribute meaningfully to discussions on future legal and social developments. Finally, considering a Stakeholder Mapping Workshop could be beneficial for teams to align their understanding and approach to the conference topics.

Country perspectives

Where the most-relevant 1 countries stand on the core issues in play. Click through for the full country profile.

Malaysia

As the host nation, Malaysia is a key player in shaping the discourse on law and society in the region.

Role in topic

Malaysia provides the geographical and cultural context for the conference, offering unique perspectives on legal development within a multiracial and multi-religious society. Its legal system, a blend of common law, Islamic law, and customary law, presents a rich case study for discussions on legal pluralism and societal integration.

Topics & background

The background behind each topic and the actors that shape it.

Law, Power and Accountability in Digital and Divided Society

The rapid digitalization of public life over the past two decades has reshaped the relationship between citizens, states, and private platforms. Algorithmic decision-making, mass data collection, and the dominance of a handful of transnational tech firms have created new asymmetries of power that traditional legal frameworks — built around territorial sovereignty and identifiable human actors — struggle to govern. At the same time, societies are increasingly polarized along ideological, ethnic, and religious lines, with online disinformation, hate speech, and surveillance amplifying these divisions. Landmark instruments such as the EU's Digital Services Act and AI Act, the UN's 2024 Global Digital Compact, and the 2024 OHCHR report on AI and human rights reflect a global push to embed accountability into digital governance. The core dispute concerns who bears legal responsibility — and to whom — for harms produced in digital and divided societies. States diverge sharply: some favor strong platform liability and human-rights-based regulation, others prioritize national security and content control, while many in the Global South demand a seat at the table in setting standards historically written in Brussels, Washington, and Beijing. Questions of jurisdiction, due process in automated systems, protection of minorities online, and the rule of law in emergency or conflict settings dominate scholarly and policy debate. Today, the field sits at an inflection point. Courts in multiple jurisdictions are testing the limits of constitutional protections against algorithmic governance, while UN bodies debate whether a Special Rapporteur on AI and human rights is warranted. The challenge for legal scholars is to articulate doctrines of accountability that travel across legal traditions and that remain meaningful in fractured, plural societies.

Key players

Legal Education in a Transforming Global Order

Legal education has long been tethered to national curricula designed to produce practitioners for domestic courts and bars. Yet globalization, transnational litigation, and the rise of cross-border regulatory regimes — from trade and investment law to climate and human rights — have forced law schools to rethink their mission. UNESCO's higher education frameworks and successive World Justice Project reports have highlighted persistent gaps in access to legal education, clinical training, and ethical formation, particularly in developing jurisdictions. The central debates concern curriculum reform, the integration of technology (including AI-assisted legal research and online dispute resolution), the role of clinical and experiential learning, and the decolonization of legal pedagogy in post-colonial states. Common law and civil law traditions, Islamic legal education, and indigenous legal orders each face distinct pressures: harmonization with global standards on one hand, and preservation of pluralist legal identities on the other. Accreditation regimes, bar admission requirements, and the proliferation of LLM and transnational programs have further complicated the landscape. Today, jurisdictions are experimenting with competency-based assessment, mandatory pro bono components, and AI literacy requirements for law graduates. Malaysia, like many ASEAN states, is recalibrating its legal education to serve a dual common-law/Shariah system while preparing graduates for international practice. The unresolved question is how to balance professional gatekeeping, social mobility, and the rapidly changing demands placed on lawyers.

Key players

Law, Science and Technology

The interaction between law and emerging science and technology has accelerated dramatically since the early 2000s, encompassing biotechnology, artificial intelligence, neurotechnology, quantum computing, and synthetic biology. Foundational instruments such as the UNESCO Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights (1997), the Convention on Biological Diversity, and more recent frameworks like the EU AI Act (2024) and the UN Global Digital Compact reflect attempts to keep regulation abreast of scientific change. The 2018 He Jiankui gene-editing case, ongoing CRISPR governance debates, and the proliferation of generative AI have all exposed gaps in existing legal regimes. The core dispute is how to govern technologies that evolve faster than legislative cycles, often cross borders frictionlessly, and produce risks that are both diffuse and catastrophic. Tensions exist between innovation-friendly regimes (often favored by major exporters of technology) and precautionary frameworks emphasizing human dignity, environmental safety, and equitable access. Intellectual property, data protection, biosafety, dual-use research, and liability for autonomous systems are recurring flashpoints. Developing states have argued that international standard-setting is dominated by a few jurisdictions whose interests may not align with their own. Current debates focus on operationalizing AI accountability, regulating brain–computer interfaces, governing biobanks and genomic data, and ensuring that scientific advances serve the Sustainable Development Goals. Scholars increasingly call for anticipatory and adaptive regulation, mindful of both rights protection and technological progress.

Key players

Criminal Law and Criminology

Modern criminal law sits at the intersection of state sovereignty, human rights, and increasingly transnational threats. Since the establishment of the International Criminal Court in 2002 and the proliferation of UN conventions on transnational organized crime (Palermo, 2000), corruption (UNCAC, 2003), and cybercrime (UN Cybercrime Convention adopted in 2024), criminal law has expanded well beyond domestic codes. Criminology, meanwhile, has shifted from purely punitive paradigms toward evidence-based approaches emphasizing rehabilitation, restorative justice, and the social determinants of crime. Key contemporary disputes include the death penalty and proportionality of punishment, the criminalization of drug use versus harm-reduction models, the rise of cybercrime and cross-border digital evidence, the use of AI in policing and sentencing, and the treatment of terrorism and political offences under the rule of law. Mass incarceration, prison conditions, and the over-criminalization of poverty have drawn sustained criticism from UN treaty bodies. Jurisdictions are also grappling with corporate criminal liability, environmental crimes, and gender-based violence as distinct fields requiring specialized doctrine. Today, debates focus on how criminal justice systems can adapt to digital evidence and AI without compromising due process, how to harmonize transnational cooperation without eroding human rights, and how criminology can inform smarter, fairer policy. The 2024 UN Cybercrime Convention is a particular flashpoint, with civil society warning of overbroad surveillance powers.

Key players

Alternative Dispute Resolution

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) — encompassing arbitration, mediation, conciliation, and hybrid procedures — has expanded into a central pillar of global dispute settlement over the past half-century. The 1958 New York Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards, with over 170 state parties, remains the backbone of international commercial arbitration. The 2019 Singapore Convention on Mediation has similarly sought to give cross-border mediated settlements enforceability comparable to arbitral awards. Investor–state dispute settlement (ISDS), once dominated by ICSID arbitration, is undergoing significant reform through UNCITRAL Working Group III. The core disputes concern legitimacy, transparency, cost, and access. Critics argue that ISDS has constrained state regulatory space, while defenders point to its role in depoliticizing investment disputes. Commercial arbitration faces concerns over arbitrator diversity, third-party funding, and the cost barriers that exclude small enterprises. Mediation is gaining traction in family, commercial, and even cross-border state disputes, supported by the Singapore Convention. Online dispute resolution (ODR), accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, raises new questions about procedural fairness and access to justice. Today, jurisdictions like Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia (through the Asian International Arbitration Centre), and Dubai compete to position themselves as ADR hubs, while developing states push for reform that addresses systemic imbalances. The future of ADR lies in balancing efficiency, enforceability, and legitimacy across increasingly diverse cultural and legal contexts.

Key players

Constitutional Law, Human Rights, and Legal Ethics

Modern constitutionalism, anchored in the post-1945 human rights revolution, established that state power must be constrained by entrenched legal norms protecting individual dignity, equality, and freedom. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), the twin International Covenants (1966), regional charters, and a wave of post-Cold War constitution-making produced robust frameworks of judicial review, bills of rights, and independent oversight institutions. Ethical standards for lawyers, judges, and public officials — codified in instruments like the UN Basic Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary and the Bangalore Principles of Judicial Conduct (2002) — have grown alongside. The central contemporary disputes concern democratic backsliding, the politicization of constitutional courts, executive overreach in emergencies (notably during COVID-19), and the universality versus cultural relativism of human rights. Topics include freedom of expression in polarized digital societies, religious freedom, minority and indigenous rights, gender equality and reproductive rights, and the rights of migrants and stateless persons. Legal ethics debates increasingly engage technology — confidentiality in cloud-based practice, AI-assisted legal services, and the lawyer's role in human-rights-sensitive transactions. Today, constitutional courts face unprecedented scrutiny as they adjudicate climate litigation, AI regulation, and pandemic measures. UN treaty bodies and regional courts continue to refine rights doctrines, while professional bodies grapple with ethical standards fit for a transnational, technology-mediated bar.

Key players

Land Use and Planning Law

Land use and planning law governs how societies allocate, develop, and conserve land — balancing private property rights, public interest, environmental sustainability, and indigenous and customary tenure. Originating in early 20th-century zoning regimes (notably the U.S. Standard Zoning Enabling Act of 1922 and the UK Town and Country Planning Act of 1947), modern planning law has expanded to integrate environmental impact assessment, climate adaptation, heritage protection, and participatory governance. International frameworks such as the New Urban Agenda (Habitat III, 2016) and SDG 11 on sustainable cities have elevated land use to a global policy concern. The core disputes involve tensions between development and conservation, the recognition of customary and indigenous land rights, compulsory acquisition and compensation, urban sprawl and affordable housing, and the management of climate-vulnerable coastal and flood-prone areas. In many jurisdictions, including Malaysia, plural land tenure systems — including native customary rights — interact uneasily with statutory planning regimes. Rapid urbanization in Asia and Africa has intensified demand for coherent legal frameworks that prevent informal settlements while protecting livelihoods. Today, planning law is increasingly shaped by climate imperatives: managed retreat from rising seas, urban heat mitigation, green infrastructure mandates, and net-zero building requirements. Courts in multiple jurisdictions are reviewing planning decisions through human-rights and environmental lenses, signaling a maturation of the field beyond narrowly technical zoning.

Key players

Building and Construction Law

Building and construction law governs one of the largest sectors of the global economy, encompassing procurement, contracts, statutory regulation of construction quality and safety, dispute resolution, and increasingly, sustainability obligations. Standard-form contracts such as FIDIC (first published 1957), JCT, and NEC have shaped international practice, while domestic statutes regulate licensing, building codes, payment security, and adjudication. Malaysia's Construction Industry Payment and Adjudication Act 2012 (CIPAA), the UK's Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996, and similar regimes worldwide reflect a global trend toward statutory adjudication to address cash-flow disputes. The core legal disputes involve delay and disruption claims, defective works and latent defects, payment security, risk allocation in mega-projects, and the interface between construction contracts and insolvency regimes. High-profile failures — including the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire in the UK — have driven sweeping reforms in building safety regulation, particularly around cladding, fire safety, and developer accountability. Sustainability requirements, embodied carbon disclosure, and modern methods of construction (including modular and 3D-printed buildings) are reshaping legal expectations. Today, the field is grappling with the digitalization of construction (BIM, smart contracts), climate-driven resilience standards, escalating costs and supply-chain disruption, and the increasing use of international arbitration to resolve cross-border project disputes. Statutory adjudication regimes continue to spread, offering faster interim resolution while preserving rights to final determination.

Key players

Resources

News, lessons, and country profiles to prep for 6th UiTM International Conference on Law & Society 2026 (UiTM i-CLaS 2026).

Recent reporting to ground your prep

Supreme Court's Voting Rights Impact on 2026

Trump's Federal Election Strategy

Supreme Court VRA Ruling Empowers GOP 2026

Akpabio vs Oshiomhole: 2027 Power Struggle

Lessons

Bite-sized lessons to build the basics

What Is Stakeholder Mapping?

The Power-Interest Grid

Hidden Stakeholders

Engagement Strategies

Courses

Guided courses that go deeper on the topic

Conflict Resolution

Advanced Negotiation

Multilateral Negotiation

Policy Brief Writing

The states in play, with the data that shapes their stance

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Malaysia October 2026

By committee

Frequently asked questions

6th UiTM International Conference on Law & Society 2026 (UiTM i-CLaS 2026)

Oct 13–14, 2026Shah Alam, MalaysiaVirtual

Registration open

Committees & topics

Topics
Law, Power and Accountability in Digital and Divided Society · Legal Education in a Transforming Global Order · Law, Science and Technology · Criminal Law and Criminology · Alternative Dispute Resolution · Constitutional Law, Human Rights, and Legal Ethics · Land Use and Planning Law · Building and Construction Law

Why it matters

How to prepare

Country perspectives

Where the most-relevant 1 countries stand on the core issues in play. Click through for the full country profile.

Malaysia

As the host nation, Malaysia is a key player in shaping the discourse on law and society in the region.

Role in topic

Topics & background

The background behind each topic and the actors that shape it.

Law, Power and Accountability in Digital and Divided Society

Key players

Legal Education in a Transforming Global Order

Key players

Law, Science and Technology

Key players

Criminal Law and Criminology

Key players

Alternative Dispute Resolution

Key players

Constitutional Law, Human Rights, and Legal Ethics

Key players

Land Use and Planning Law

Key players

Building and Construction Law

Key players

Resources

News, lessons, and country profiles to prep for 6th UiTM International Conference on Law & Society 2026 (UiTM i-CLaS 2026).

Recent reporting to ground your prep

Supreme Court's Voting Rights Impact on 2026

Trump's Federal Election Strategy

Supreme Court VRA Ruling Empowers GOP 2026

Akpabio vs Oshiomhole: 2027 Power Struggle

Lessons

Bite-sized lessons to build the basics

What Is Stakeholder Mapping?

The Power-Interest Grid

Hidden Stakeholders

Engagement Strategies

Courses

Guided courses that go deeper on the topic

Conflict Resolution

Advanced Negotiation

Multilateral Negotiation

Policy Brief Writing

The states in play, with the data that shapes their stance

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Malaysia October 2026

By committee

Committees & topics

Why it matters

How to prepare

Country perspectives

Topics & background

Resources

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Frequently asked questions

Committees & topics

Why it matters

How to prepare

Country perspectives

Topics & background

Resources

Related conferences

Defence Services Asia & National Security Asia 2026 Exhibition

International Conference on Globalization, Poverty, and International Cooperation

AEI-ASEM Summer School 2026

18th International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences (ICHISS 2026)

International Conference on Mediation Strategies in Cross-Border Conflicts (ICMSCBC-26)

International Conference on International Law and Global Governance (ICILGG-26)

Frequently asked questions