The Death & Law Research Project has continued to foster interdisciplinary conversations on death, law, and society through a series of successful events, some of which are supported by a generous Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) Research Collaboration Grant.
In May 2026, the initiative launched the Death & Law RSE Book Club with a roundtable discussion exploring the fictions of death and their significance for law and the legal imaginary. The event also featured presentations by Dr Jonathan Ainslie and Dr Nevena Jevremović on the activities supported through the RSE Research Collaboration Grant, alongside a presentation by Dr Patricia Živković introducing the forthcoming edited volume and its contribution to emerging scholarship at the intersection of death studies and law. The roundtable, moderated by Dr Nevena Jevremović, brought together Mr Nicolas Le Bigre (ethnology and folklore), Dr Arnar Árnason (anthropology), and Dr Patricia Živković (law), who reflected on three short stories addressing themes of death, grief, and loss. Through close readings and interdisciplinary discussion, the panel and audience explored how literature offers a unique lens for understanding legal questions surrounding mortality, memory, and mourning.
Building on this momentum, in June 2026, Dr Patricia Živković moderated the roundtable "The Struggle for Power over Death in Digital Afterlives" at the Centre for Death & Society (CDAS) Conference 2026: Death and Power. She was joined by Dr Edina Harbinja, Dr Leah Henrickson, and Dr Nevena Jevremović for an interdisciplinary discussion examining the emergence of AI-powered "griefbots" from legal, ethical, and media perspectives. The panel explored how these technologies are reshaping power over death, memory, and digital afterlives, while addressing questions of AI governance, the commercialisation of digital afterlife services, and the implications for law, society, and contemporary mourning practices.
Together, these events demonstrate the vibrant interdisciplinary research taking place within the Death & Law initiative, bringing together scholars from law, the humanities, and the social sciences to address some of the most pressing contemporary questions surrounding death, technology, culture, and justice. The discussion prompts accompanying the CDAS roundtable are available for download, and the Death & Law Book Club will continue in September 2026, providing further opportunities for researchers, students, and practitioners to engage with these important conversations. Stay tuned for further information about the programme and ways to get involved.
