International Conference on Rethinking Human Rights and Constitutional Freedoms in the Digital Age
Department of Research and Development, Saveetha School of Law (SSL), SIMATS, Chennai.Overview
Saveetha School of Law (SSL), part of the Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Chennai, invites you to its International Conference on Rethinking Human Rights and Constitutional Freedoms in the Digital Age. Organised by the Department of Research and Development, the conference runs in hybrid mode on 22 August 2026, with in-person sessions on the SSL campus in Chennai and an online option for remote presenters.
If you research or work on how the digital world reshapes rights, privacy, free expression, and constitutional protection, this is a chance to present your paper, take part in interdisciplinary dialogue, and have your work considered for publication in an ISBN-indexed edited volume.
About the organiser
Saveetha School of Law was established in 2009 under SIMATS, a deemed-to-be university that holds a NAAC A++ grade. SSL is recognised by the Bar Council of India, approved by the UGC, and ranked among the leading law schools in the country (1st in Tamil Nadu and 13th among Indian law universities in the NIRF rankings cited by the school). SIMATS itself secured the 11th position in the university category of NIRF 2024. The conference is hosted by SSL's Department of Research and Development.
Theme and why it matters
The digital age has transformed how human rights and constitutional freedoms operate. The internet, artificial intelligence, and global connectivity expand free expression, democratic mobilisation, and access to information, but they also bring state and corporate surveillance, algorithmic bias, data-privacy breaches, and digital censorship. As powerful technology platforms move public discourse into privately owned spaces, the line between public and private regulation blurs.
This conference interrogates those tensions and asks how constitutional principles can be reinterpreted, updated, or newly engineered to safeguard human dignity, autonomy, and equity in an increasingly automated world. It brings together legal scholars, economists, technologists, and public-interest advocates to move from diagnosing threats toward proposing actionable legal frameworks for digital constitutionalism.
Sub-themes
Papers are invited under (but not limited to) the following sub-themes:
- Digital constitutionalism and the future of fundamental rights online
- Freedom of expression, platform governance and algorithmic curation
- Surveillance, cyber security and the right to privacy
- Human rights, AI and automated decision-making
- Human rights and taxation of medicines
- Access to medicines and health technologies as a human right
- Digital divide, connectivity and the emerging right to digital access
- Online harassment, cyber-violence and protection of vulnerable groups
- Labour rights in the digital workplace and platform economy
- Constitutional freedoms and emergency powers in the digital age
- Digital identity, e-governance and exclusion
- International and regional human-rights standards for the digital environment
- Tax justice, public finance and the right to health and social protection
- Comparative constitutional responses to digital transformation
These sub-themes are illustrative. You may propose any relevant topic that clearly falls within the overall theme.
Who can apply
The conference is open to students, research scholars, faculty members, industry experts, social activists, NGOs, law firms, advocates, and members of the judiciary. Co-authorship is permitted, up to a maximum of two authors per paper.
Submission guidelines
- Word limit: 2,500 to 4,000 words.
- Font: Times New Roman. Title 14 pt, bold, centre-aligned; main text 12 pt, justified, 1.5 line spacing, 1-inch margins on all sides.
- Footnotes: 10 pt, single line spacing. No endnotes permitted.
- Citation style: ILI format.
- Plagiarism: must not exceed 10%, including references.
- Abstracts are submitted by email; selected authors then register and submit the full paper.
What it costs
Registration fees (payable after abstract acceptance):
- Students: Rs 699
- Research Scholars: Rs 799
- Academicians: Rs 899
- Participation (attendance only): Rs 299
- Foreign Authors: USD 15
Payment is made to the SSL CME account: Account holder SAVEETHA SCHOOL OF LAW CME, Karur Vysya Bank, A/C 1248135000002593, IFSC KVBL0001248, Branch PH Road. Confirm the exact mode in the registration form and selection email before paying.
Publication, certificates and awards
Selected papers will be published in an ISBN-indexed edited volume, subject to peer review and editorial approval. All presenters receive a certificate of presentation; online presenters receive e-certificates. The conference also confers a Best Paper Award and a Best Presentation Award, announced at the valedictory session.
Process and timeline
- Abstract submission: on or before 1 August 2026 (by email).
- Notification of acceptance: 5 August 2026 (by email).
- Full paper submission and registration with payment: on or before 18 August 2026.
- Conference date: 22 August 2026 (hybrid).
How to apply
Email your abstract to internationalconferencessl2026@gmail.com on or before 1 August 2026. If selected, complete registration and payment through the official Google Form by 18 August 2026 and submit your full paper by the same date.
Checklist
- Pick a sub-theme (or propose your own within the overall theme)
- Prepare an abstract and email it by 1 August 2026
- Watch for the acceptance email on 5 August 2026
- Register, pay the applicable fee, and submit your full paper (2,500-4,000 words, ILI citations, under 10% plagiarism) by 18 August 2026
- Present on 22 August 2026, in person at Chennai or online