The ICCAL Lab
The ICCAL Lab is a collaborative research project between Europe and Latin America that examines democratic resilience from an interregional comparative legal perspective. It brings together researchers who analyze how constitutional frameworks, institutions and social practices can strengthen democracies in the face of current challenges.
Coordinator: Carolina Bejarano
Origin and Purpose
The ICCAL Lab is a research and academic cooperation initiative developed within the Ius Constitutionale Commune en América Latina (ICCAL) project at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law. Its purpose is to strengthen democratic resilience through the study of comparative constitutional law between Europe and Latin America.
Formation of the Lab
The Lab was created in 2024 through an open international call that brought together 46 researchers from both regions. Half come from Latin America and the other half from Europe, ensuring interregional collaboration and disciplinary and generational diversity.
Structure and Work
Participants are organized into thematic teams dedicated to examining key challenges of contemporary constitutionalism, such as the protection of human rights, the impacts of climate change, or digital regulation. The work unfolds through monthly meetings and an annual conference, where research progress is presented and discussed.
Topics and teams
The ICCAL Lab is structured around ten collaborative research projects, involving academics from Latin America and Europe. Each project explores, from a specific angle, how comparative constitutional law and transformative constitutionalism can strengthen democratic resilience in the face of crises such as authoritarianism, disinformation, geopolitical fragmentation, climate change, and abuse of legislative power.
Colombia and Germany as Archetypical Constitutional Courts for Regional Democratic Resilience
How can two archetypical constitutional courts catalyze democratic resilience?
Digital Challenges to Democratic Resilience
How should courts respond to electoral disinformation and AI-driven manipulation?
REconfiguring State POwers in the 21st Century as a Tool for Democratic Resilience (RESPO)
When do collaboration mechanisms between powers strengthen socio-economic rights?
Courts and Judges: Friends or Foes of Democratic Resilience? (COFFIN)
Do judicial tenure and autonomy protect democracy from erosion?
Democratic Resilience, Climate Litigation, and Intergenerational Justice
Can climate litigation integrate intergenerational justice into democracy?
Transformative Constitutionalism in Times of Geopolitical Fragmentation
Can transformative constitutionalism survive global fragmentation?
From Innovation to Institution: Embedding Citizens’ Assemblies in the Law
When do citizens’ assemblies become constitutional institutions?
Impact Mechanisms for Democratic Resilience in Europe and Latin America
Which mechanisms effectively prevent democratic erosion?