ICON•S Taiwan Chapter

The International Society of Public Law (ICON•S) is an international scholarly society associated with the International Journal of Constitutional Law (ICON) which holds regular annual conferences. You can find more information on ICON•S here.

ICON•S Taiwan one of the many regional chapters of ICON•S and was founded in 2024 by Chien-Chin Lin (co-chair) and Yi-Li Lee (co-chair).

The Taiwan Chapter of ICON•S aims to contribute to scholarly exchanges, foster interdisciplinary discussions, and support legal education in Taiwan. It seeks to integrate established and junior scholars, promote diverse methodologies, and encourage active participation in the global academic community.

THE INETERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF PUBLIC LAW – ICON•S

TAIWAN CHAPTER

The Taiwan Chapter of the International Society of Public Law (hereinafter: ICON•S) is established to create a diverse and interdisciplinary academic forum to discuss contemporary Public Law challenges, including administrative law, constitutional law, international law, and related social and political fields such as political science, political theory, jurisprudence, and political history. It will be an intergenerational working space that will include both established scholars and junior academics. It will seek to provide an academic space for scholars using diverse methodologies and coming from different legal backgrounds. It will also serve as a link between the Taiwan academia and the international forum that the Society offers. In its composition, the Chapter will promote the following principles: regional and political diversity, gender balance and academic excellence.

Article I. The Mission

1. The aim of the Taiwan Chapter is to pursue the mission of ICON•S within Taiwan.

2. The Chapter is established in order to:

a) Promote the values of ICON•S, including a commitment with an interdisciplinary approach to public law, and the values associated with human rights, democratic constitutionalism, and the rule of law.
b) Promote the expansion of ICON•S in Taiwan, collaborate with other ICON•S regional chapters and with Taiwan academic organizations that share the values of ICON•S, but remain distinct from them.
c) Promote early-career scholars, especially but not exclusively, from underrepresented groups.

3. The Chapter shall:

a) Be organized in a way that reflects its commitments to gender balance, inter-generational dialogue, regional and political diversity.
b) Regularly disseminate notice of its events and activities via ICONnect and communicate an annual summary of its activities to the ICON•S Executive Committee.
c) Be subject in its scope, governance and membership, to periodic reviews by the members of the ICON•S Executive Committee.
d) Promote joining ICON•S and paying the ICON•S annual membership fee.

Article 2. Governance of the Chapter

1. The Chapter is governed by three institutions: the Co-Chairs, the Executive Secretaries and the Advisory Board.

2. The Co-Chairs, executive secretaries, and the board members’ identities, as a whole, shall reflect the Chapter’s commitment to gender balance, academic excellence, and age diversity.

3. The Chapter has two Co-Chairs elected on the basis of gender equality (50/50 male and female). The Co-Chairs cannot be affiliated to the same academic institutions, and the Board should be composed of members coming from at least five separate institutions.

Article 3. The Co-Chairs

1. The Chapter will be governed by two co-chairs and – when necessary – an executive secretary. The identity of the co-chairs, the executive secretary and the advisory board shall reflect the chapter’s commitment to gender equality and diversity in governance. Only ICON•S members can be co-chairs or executive secretary. Each year, the two co-chairs will communicate an annual summary of their activities to the ICON•S Executive Committee, to the advisory board, and to the members of the Chapter.

2. Co-chairs: Co-chairs will hold office for 3 years with one possible reelection. Every three years, the two co-chairs will be elected by majority vote of the members of the advisory board.

3. The Co-Chairs may be assisted by a executive secretary, depending on the Chapter’s needs. Every three years, the executive secretary will be elected by majority vote of the members of the advisory board.

Article 4. The Advisory Board

1. Membership of the advisory board will be based on excellence in public law scholarship and the need for diversity in terms of gender, research interests and age. The first advisory board will be appointed among the founding members.

2. The two co-chairs, in consultation with the existing members of the advisory board, the executive secretary will appoint new members of the advisory board for a term of three years.

3. At the end of their three-year term, half of the members of the advisory board will stay on for another term of three years, to be determined by lottery. New Board members will be appointed in a manner that reflects the criteria in IV. 1. and according to the procedure in IV. 2.

4. A retiring co-chair will automatically become a member of the advisory board for a term of three years.

5. The number of members of the advisory board shall not exceed 15.

Article 5. Executive Secretary:

1. The Taiwan Chapter of ICON•S has an Executive Secretary appointed by the two-Co-Chairs for a term of three years with one possible reelection. Co-Chairs may appoint one additional Executive Secretary according to the needs of the Chapter.

2. The Executive Secretary assists the two Co-Chairs to fulfil the objectives of the Taiwan Chapter.

3. The Executive Secretary keeps the register of all members admitted to the Chapter.

Article 6. Rights and duties of the members of the governing bodies

All members of the governing bodies have the following rights and duties:

a) Join ICON•S and pay the ICON•S annual membership fee.
b) Promote the mission and values of ICON•S.

Article 7. Chapter Membership

1. Membership is not limited by nationality. All members should have an interest in Public Law academia, including all the related fields.

2. The Chapter will start with the following members: the first co-chairs, the Board members, and the list of founding members informed to ICON•S.

3. Society members should become:
a) Public law scholars and lecturers.
b) Ph.D., Ph.D. student, Masters, Master’s degree student who has an interest in public law.
c) Students of the final year of the undergraduate educational program from any institution operating in Taiwan or abroad, who express interest in public law and Taiwan.

4. A candidate should submit an application to co-chairs. They join the Chapter following one of the procedures:

a) A candidate with the endorsement of both co-chairs and five members of the Board will be added as members of the Chapter. The endorsement will be given by email, and it needs to incorporate a letter from the applicant. The co-chairs will need to inform the Board members.

b) A candidate’s membership is approved by a majority of the Board members present at a Board meeting.

5. Chapter membership is free. All applicants must show an interest in Public Law academia or in at least one of the related fields. Even though the applications will be merit-based, early-career scholars will be especially welcomed.

Article 8. Working groups and committees

The co-chairs may establish working groups of the Chapter to organize events and activities they consider relevant to support the Chapter’s administrative and academic tasks.

Article 9. National Conference

1. The Taiwan Chapter will organize a national conference each year, based on a call addressed both to junior and senior scholars.

2. For this purpose, it can work with existing national and regional organizations.

3. The annual conference will be held during a different month than that in which the ICON•S annual meeting is held, preferably before it.

Article 10. Amendments

1. An amendment to the Rules of the Chapter may be proposed by a co-chair or one third of all members of the Board.

2. The Board is authorized to discuss amendments to the Rules of the Chapter if 2/3 of the total number of the Members are present. The Rules can be amended by the majority of the total number of the Members of the Board. Amendments need the approval of both Co-Chairs. Voting can be conducted via email, online survey, or similar electronic means.