The impact of Covid-19 has led to the re-organisation of the work of parliaments in a very short space of time, sometimes overthrowing – or at least suspending – centuries of tradition. This process has thrown into sharp relief the purpose and effectiveness of hitherto existing practices and procedures that, in turn, perhaps raise questions about what parliamentarians should return to once the current crisis is over.

We are also living during a time when there is considerable concern about democratic backsliding around the world with parliaments and parliamentarians often being criticised, side-lined, undermined and, in some instances, violently attacked.

It is in response to these contexts that our theme for this year’s annual conference is Parliament at a Critical Juncture. We wish to reflect upon the pressures placed upon parliaments and parliamentarians by a range of different groups, and other branches of the state. In so doing, we especially welcome submissions that reflect on how parliaments and legislatures have responded to crises, whether contemporary or historical, and how they should do so.

Our conference aims to highlight the best research on legislatures, bringing into sharp focus the roles and functions parliaments and parliamentarians play – whether effectively or otherwise – in the political process and society more broadly. It is the most important event of the year for the PSA Parliaments Group. The conference includes both academic and practitioner panels, and the formal presentation of the winner of the Group’s undergraduate essay competition, as well as providing opportunities for academics and practitioners in the field of parliamentary studies to meet and discuss their work and interests.

Full details of the panels and papers can be found here.