Conference

The Hague International conference ‘The future of policing from the perspective of the rule of law’

Date

Thursday 25 June 2026 - Friday 26 June 2026

Address

Schouwburgstraat
Schouwburgstraat 2
2511 VA The Hague

As societies confront rapid technological transformation, shifting public expectations, and growing political and environmental instability, policing and the Rule of Law face an era of challenging dynamics. Policing, as Robert Reiner once noted in The Politics of the Police, often attracts attention ‘when the wheels come off.’

The police occupies a frontline position between state and society, relying fundamentally on consent, trust, and understanding to operate legitimately within liberal democracies. Though other actors involved in policing do not necessarily face the same scrutiny, it is necessary for them to act within the boundaries of the Rule of  Law. Yet, seen from a global perspective, democracies are becoming unmoored, losing their sense of direction and stability. This broader democratic erosion exercises pressure on the very foundations of the Rule of Law and challenges the institutional grounding of policing. In such contexts, law enforcement agencies, but also other public and private policing actors, risk being drawn into political conflicts or used as instruments of repression, while their authority may also be undermined by populist or autocratic governance. The 1st The Hague International Policing Conference seeks to address and analyse these challenges from an international and interdisciplinary conference, drawing together experts from a variety of academic institutions as well as law enforcement agencies.

Interested in attending? Register here to stay updated and be the first to know when registration opens.

Stay updated