The aspect of knowledge in comparative constitutional law is multifaceted. The approaches to acquiring constitutional knowledge from different constitutional orders are very heterogeneous and depend on the respective approach to comparative law. While some scholars claim that in-depth experience of the language, society and culture is a necessary prerequisite for understanding constitutional orders, other scholars rely on data that is generated in different ways (e.g. through text analysis or questionnaires). Artiticial intelligence is creating more opportunities to access information from different constitutional orders, for example through automated translations or text summaries. From the perspective of the decolonisation of constitutional law, not only expert knowledge must be understood as a source for accessing constitutional knowledge, but also the local knowledge of society must be taken into account. Finally, the creation of comparative knowledge also goes beyond the simple synopsis of different constitutional orders. It creates a new dimension of knowledge that reaches beyond the concrete constitutional order.

The international workshop aims to discuss elements of epistemology in comparative constitutional law by asking fundamental questions about the relationship between epistemology and comparative constitutional law. Moving beyond pure scepticism, the workshop will consider comparative constitutional knowledge from a critical perspective in order to provide a basis for a broader scholarly engagement with constitutional knowledge.

Organiser: Konrad Lachmayer

Venue: Sigmund Freud Private University Vienna, Lassallestraße 3, 6th floor, Lecture Room L619

1020 Vienna, Austria

Date: 2 and 3 October 2025