Rick Lawson delivers Cleveringa lecture in Rome
On 26 November 1940, Professor Cleveringa – at the time the Dean of Leiden Law School – spoke out in protest against the decision of the Nazi Occupying Powers to dismiss Jewish academics. Every year Leiden University appoints a professor as rotating Cleveringa Chair, whose task, amongst others, is to deliver an inaugural lecture on or around 26 November.
In addition, many events are organised - in the Netherlands and abroad - to commemorate Professor Cleveringa’s courageous speech. Rick Lawson, who started his academic career as the student assistant of Professor Peter Baehr, the Cleveringa Chair in 1986-1987, went to Rome this year to deliver a Cleveringa lecture. The lecture was entitled 'From Professor Cleveringa to the Palazzo Barberini and beyond – prospects for the rule of law in Europe'. The event, which was kindly hosted by the Royal Netherlands Institute in Rome (KNIR), was attended by some 50 participants – mainly Leiden alumni, although others who were interested in the theme attended as well.