The ESIL IG History of International Law is sharing this event on behalf of the ESIL IG European and International Rule of Law
Launching the European Society of International Law (ESIL) Interest Group on European and International Rule of Law Webinar Series
European Society of International Law
(ESIL) Interest Group on European and International Rule of Law is delighted to
launch the ESIL Interest Group on European and International Rule of
Law Webinar Series, a new webinar series designed to create a space for
critical and interdisciplinary dialogue on some of the most pressing challenges
facing the rule of law today. The series will bring together scholars,
practitioners, policymakers, and members of civil society to examine how law
operates across local, national, regional, and global contexts, and how it can
contribute to addressing contemporary issues of governance, justice, and
accountability.
For your reference, the flyer for the
inaugural event and the registration QR Code can be found at here and the registration link here
This initiative aligns closely with the
broader strategy of the European Society of International Law (ESIL) to expand
opportunities for engagement with contemporary developments in international
law through innovative online formats. In particular, it complements the ESIL
Conversations initiative, conceived as a series of online events through which
ESIL contributes to ongoing debates on international law, as well as the ESIL
Teaching Corner Webinar Series, which promotes discussion on pedagogy and teaching
practices. By creating a dedicated forum within the ESIL Interest Group on
European and International Rule of Law, this webinar series seeks to contribute
to these wider ESIL objectives while providing sustained engagement with
questions relating to the rule of law, governance, justice, and accountability
from both European and international perspectives.
It is particularly fitting that we begin
with a conversation on taxation, racial inequality, and historical injustice,
themes that invite us to reflect on both the promises and limitations of the
rule of law.
Event Description – Taxation, Racial
Capitalism and International Rule of Law
The inaugural webinar, “Taxation,
Racial Capitalism, and the International Rule of Law: From Colonial Slavery to
Global Governance,” marks the launch of the European Society
of International Law (ESIL) Interest Group on European and International Rule
of Law Webinar Series.
Through the insights offered by Anthony
C. Infanti (University of Pittsburgh School of Law) and Steven
A. Dean (Boston University School of Law), this inaugural event held on
Wednesday July 22, 2026 – 12 :00 – 1:30 pm sets
the tone for a series committed to examining difficult questions, challenging
conventional assumptions, and fostering meaningful dialogue across disciplines
and jurisdictions.
This ESIL Interest Group on International
and European Rule of Law Conversations brings into dialogue two important
recent books—The Human Toll: Taxation and Slavery in Colonial America (NYU
Press) by Anthony C. Infanti and Racial Capitalism and
International Tax Law: The Story of Global Jim Crow (Oxford University
Press) by Steven A. Dean —to explore the complex relationship
between taxation, racial inequality, and the rule of law across time and space.
The conversation will be chaired by Paolo
Davide Farah (University of Tulsa College of Law), Chair of European
Society of International Law (ESIL) Interest Group on European and
International Rule of Law, who will serve as moderator and discussant,
facilitating the dialogue between the authors and situating their contributions
within broader debates on the rule of law, epistemic authority, international
governance, and fiscal justice. Carliss N. Chatman (SMU Dedman School
of Law) will also serve as discussant, contributing additional
reflections on the contemporary implications of taxation, inequality, and legal
institutions. Together, the discussion aims to foster an interdisciplinary and
critical exchange on the historical legacies and present-day challenges
explored in these important works.
Moving from the fiscal architectures of
colonial America to the contemporary global tax order, the discussion examines
how legal and fiscal systems have historically contributed to systems of
domination, exclusion, and racialized inequality. Infanti’s work reveals how
taxation functioned not merely as a neutral tool of governance but as an
instrument that helped structure, sustain, and legitimize slavery. Dean’s
analysis extends this inquiry into the international sphere, uncovering how
global tax rules have been shaped by, and continue to reproduce, forms of
racial capitalism and structural inequality.
By placing these perspectives in
conversation, the webinar seeks to interrogate the ambivalent role of the rule
of law: not only as a framework that aspires to justice and accountability, but
also as a system that has, at times, facilitated exploitation and entrenched
disparities. The discussion will also consider whether and how law,
particularly in the context of European and international governance, can serve
as a tool for redress, reform, and more equitable global fiscal arrangements.
Engaging with historical legacies and
contemporary challenges, this conversation invites participants to reflect on
key questions at the intersection of law, political economy, and global
governance: To what extent can the rule of law confront its own complicity in
past and present injustices? What lessons do these histories hold for current
debates on international taxation, reparations, and fiscal justice? And how
might evolving legal frameworks within the EU and beyond contribute to
reshaping a more inclusive and equitable global order?
The member of the ESIL Interest Group might be also interested
in the recent ABILA webinar on Decolonizing Comparative Law and Development:
Indigenous Legal Orders, Legal Pluralism, and the Coloniality of Method Across
International Law, IP, and Trade Governance, that the IG organized and held on June
1.
Webinar recording here
Post-webinar reflection and
summary here
Background, concept note, speaker
information, and suggested readings here
