About us

The New Zealand Centre for Legal and Political Theory (NZCLPT) was founded in 2018 and is hosted by the Faculty of Law at the University of Auckland. The Centre brings together scholars with interests across a range of approaches in legal and political theory, including theories of public law and private law, indigenous law and international law; theories of democracy, sovereignty, and authority. Our interests span the intersection of legal, political, and moral philosophy, and their relations with critical and social theory.

Each year, the Centre hosts the NZCLPT Seminar Series , featuring leading international and local scholars presenting contemporary work in legal and political theory; and the annual ‘Theory Matters’ Lecture. Other activities of the Centre include conferences and project workshops pursuing both individual and collaborative research. We also support the student-led Jurisprudence Reading Group for undergraduates.

Centre events are open to colleagues across the University, and many of our events engage our graduate and undergraduate student communities. To join our mailing list for news of Centre events, and invitations to our annual Theory Matters public lecture, click here.

Scholars interested in visiting NZCLPT should contact the centre directors, Arie Rosen a.rosen@auckland.ac.nz or Nicole Roughan n.roughan@auckland.ac.nz. Prospective PhD students may find admissions information here and supervision opportunities under individual Faculty profiles.