The tasks of the Scientific Director of the International Institute for the Sociology of Law (IISL) include overseeing the Institute’s international Master’s programme, the workshop programme and the visiting scholars programme, the relations with Basque universities, authorities, and the interested public as well as the development of the library and the Institute’s publications. Through its international activities, the IISL serves as an important hub in networking socio-legal scholarship from different world regions.
The Scientific Director is appointed by the Governing Board of the Institute upon proposal by the Board of the Research Committee on Sociology of Law (RCSL), a scientific body formed within the International Sociological Association. The Governing Board consists of Members appointed by the Basque Government as well as of Members appointed by the RCSL. The Scientific Director is selected based on an international call for applications and appointed for a period of two years each.
In the previous period, Sabine Frerichs served as Scientific Director, and she will still continue as a member of the Governing Board of the Institute for two years. In September 2024, she was followed by José María Sauca as incoming Scientific Director.
A complete list of former Scientific Directors of the Institute includes:
- André-Jean Arnaud, 1988-1991
- Paavo Uusitalo, 1991-1992
- Rogelio Pérez Perdomo, 1992-1993
- Roberto Bergalli, 1993-1995
- Johannes Feest, 1995-1997
- Jacek Kurczewski, 1997-1998
- Pierre Guibentif, 1998-2000
- William Felstiner, 2000-2002
- Manuel Calvo-García, 2002-2003
- Volkmar Gessner, 2003-2005
- Joxerramon Bengoetxea, 2005-2007
- Carlos Lista, 2007-2009
- Sol Picciotto, 2009-2011
- Angela Melville, 2011-2013
- Adam Czarnota, 2013-2016
- Vincenzo Ferrari, 2016-2018
- Noé Cornago, 2018-2020
- Martin Ramstedt, 2020-2022
- Sabine Frerichs, 2022-2024
Jose M. Sauca: Short biography
Jose M. Sauca has carried out the task of Scientific Director of the International Institute for the Sociology of Law in Oñati during the first semester of the 2024/25 academic year on an honorary basis.
His permanent institution is the Carlos III University of Madrid where he is full professor of philosophy of law. He has been working at this university since 1990, where he obtained his doctorate in law in 1994 (Nicolás Pérez Serrano National Prize from the Centre for Political and Constitutional Studies and Extraordinary Prize from the University). He has postgraduate studies in European law from the University of Deusto (1986), where he had obtained his law degree in 1985. He has been a visiting researcher at the universities of Oxford, Québec à Montréal, Bordeaux X, degli Studi di Torino and at the IISL in Oñati; professor at the University of Cantabria (Santander), the Centre for Political and Constitutional Studies (Madrid) and the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (Flacso-Mexico) and guest professor at various European and Latin American universities.
His vision of the Philosophy of law focuses especially on a reflection on the legal phenomenon in continuity with social philosophy and defends a methodological approach of interdisciplinary character in its development. His preferred research topics have been directed towards the study of associationism and civil society; human rights; the political-legal relevance of identity; the culture of lawfulness and constitutional theory. He argues that the sociology of law or legal sociology is an open, dynamic and critical disciplinary field that develops a vision of law as a social phenomenon and attends especially to deploying analyses of an empirical nature on its actors, processes and social effects.
Other ongoing responsibilities:
- Director of the Research Group on Law and Justice [www.derechoyjusticia.net].
- Coordinator of the Culture of Legality Program. [www.culturadelalegalidad.net].
- Director of the journal Eunomía. Revista en Cultura de la Legalidad [www.uc3m.es/eunomia].
- Director of the Spanish Research Network on Culture of Legality and Fight against Corruption (CLLC) [www.derechoyjusticia.net/proyectos/red-de-investigacion-en-cultura-de-la-legalidad-y-lucha-contra-la-corrupcion-3].
- Convenor of the Interest Group on Emerging Rights (IGER) at the International Society of Public Law (Icon-s) [www.icon-society.org/emerging-rights/].
- Manager of the Law area at the State Research Agency [www.aei.gob.es/areas-tematicas/colaboradores-as-cientificos/listado-colaboradores-as/sauca-cano-jose-maria].
Recent research projects led:
- Culture of Lawfulness Program (4 Trust-cm). Regional Ministry of Education and Innovation. Community of Madrid (2025-28).
- Emerging Political Rights (EMPOWER). State research programme. State Investigation Agency (AEI). (2024-2028).
- Economic Crime and Cooperation Projects. Framework Contracts with the Council of Europe - Conseil de l’Europe (2021-2026).
- Cultura de la Legalidad y Lucha contra la Corrupción [I, II & III] research network (Mineco-AEI) (Successively: 2015-2025).
- Ecoprudencia: Revisión de los fundamentos antropocéntricos de la teoría jurídica. Green Transition and Digital Transition Projects Programme 2021. State Investigation Agency (AEI) (2022-2025).
- Construcción de derechos emergentes. Debates para la fundamentación de nuevos parámetros de constitucionalidad (CDREM). State Research Programme. State Investigation Agency (AEI) (2020-2024).
- Vulnerable Subjects of Law and Sustainable Development. Towards a more complex understanding of Law and Development Processes for Vulnerable Groups (VulSubLD). European Commission Research Executive Agency (2021-2024).
- E-Learning Course on Good Governance and Anti-Corruption. Contracts with the Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE) (2018-2024).
- Cambio climático y derechos humanos: aportes para un abordaje diferencial, presented in his capacity as Amicus Curiae at the International Court of Human Rights, in the framework of the Chile's and Colombia's request for an advisory opinion about Emergencia climática y Derechos Humanos. (Resol. PTA. CrIDH del 22/02/2024).
- Programa Interuniversitario en Cultura de la Legalidad (On Trust-Cm). Regional Ministry of Education and Innovation. Community of Madrid (2020-2023).
Latest publications:
- « Plurinational Federalism in Spain : Alain-G. Gagnon’s contribution to debate - Le Fédéderalisme Plurinational en Espagne : La Contribution d'Alain- G. Gagnon au Débat». Guy Laforest, Geneviève Nootens and Félix Mathieu (coords.), Plurinational Societies in all their dimensions. International Perspectives on the work of Alain-G. Gagnon - Les sociétes plurinationales dans tous leurs États. Perspectives internationales sur l’œuvre d’Alain-G. Gagnon, Québec : Les Presses de l’Université Laval, 2025 (forthcoming).
- Juan Carlos Bayón y José Mª Sauca (dirs.) La reforma constitucional: problemas filosóficos y jurídicos, Valencia: Tirant lo Blanch, 2025.
- «Análisis conceptual de los presupuestos normativos de la estabilidad y el cambio constitucional» en J.C. Bayón y J.M. Sauca (dirs.) La reforma constitucional: problemas filosóficos y jurídicos, Tirant lo Blanch, Valencia, 2025 pp. 137-183.
- «De la metodología jurídica a la sociología jurídica. Reflexiones sobre la senda intelectual de Manuel Calvo». Mª José González Ordovás y David Vila Viñas (coords.), Debates actuales en la filosofía del Derecho y en la sociología jurídica. Libro homenaje al Prof. Manuel Calvo García, Valencia: Tirant lo Blanch, 2024, pp. 189-206.
- «Aproximaciones a una cultura del lenguaje jurídico claro y (des)encuentros con la cultura de la legalidad». Germán Arenas y Isabel Wences (coords.), Cómo puede alguien cumplir una ley que nadie entiende. Estudios interdisciplinarios sobre lenguaje claro y cultura de la legalidad, Madrid: Marcial Pons, 2024, pp. 23- 36.
- «Constitutional Liquidity between Ridigity and Flexibility: Constitutional Liquidity Clauses». Problema. Anuario de Filosofía y Teoría del Derecho (UNAM), núm. 18, enero-diciembre de 2024, pp. 43-74 and pp. 11-42.
- «En torno a la universidad española actual. Reflexiones críticas sobre su estructura y funciones». Elías Díaz y Francisco J. Laporta (dirs.), Leer a Manuel Atienza, Madrid: CEPC, 2023, pp. 509-533.
- «Prólogo» in Alain-G. Gagnon, Choque de legitimidades, Valencia: Tirant lo Blanch, 2023, pp. 15-21.
- «Presentación». Eunomía. Revista en Cultura de la Legalidad¸ 26 (2024): 7-10; 25 (2024): 7-11; 24 (2023): 7-14; 23 (2023): 8-13.
