Abstract
This paper examines how permacrisis—defined by continuous and overlapping crises—has reshaped legal and governance structures, blurring the traditional distinction between exception and normalcy. It argues that emergency powers, once confined to extraordinary circumstances, are increasingly normalised, embedding exceptional measures into ordinary legal frameworks and thereby threatening democratic principles. Drawing on insights from Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) theory, the paper analyses how legal responses to crises evolve, adapt, and sometimes entrench themselves beyond their original scope. Considering ongoing democratic backsliding, it reconsiders the concept of legal resilience, proposing that adaptability must be tempered by strong protections for fundamental rights. Ultimately, the paper contends that responding effectively to the permacrisis requires a rethinking of resilience—not as flexibility alone, but as a commitment to democratic safeguards in times of sustained global uncertainty. The tension between resilience and regression is presented as central to the future of democratic legal systems.
Keywords: liberal democracies, emergency powers, democratic backsliding, crisis governance, legal resilience, rule of law
How to Cite:
Ruwayha, J., (2025) “Resilience or Regression? Navigating Legal Transformation in the Era of Permacrisis”, UCL Journal of Law and Jurisprudence 14(1), 23-42. doi: https://doi.org/10.14324/111.444.2052-1871.2006
Downloads:
Download PDF
View PDF
188 Views
46 Downloads