From a comparative perspective, this conference invites consideration of core issues within this theme of McDonaldization. This might include, for example: how the defence is co-opted to provide guarantees that enable other safeguards to be reduced; the broad shift away from judicial and court roles, to a stronger prosecution function; ways of avoiding trial; or the role of technology in new modes of trial, and machine learning (AI) in criminal justice.

This is the 11th conference in the series The Future of Adversarial and Inquisitorial System, a collaboration between the Universities of Warwick, North Carolina, Bologna, Basel and Duke University.