Vasiliki Kosta speaks at high-level international conference of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU
image: © Polish Ministry of Justice
Vasiliki Kosta spoke at the conference ‘The role of civil society in the protection of the rule of law’ organised by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Poland as part of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU, which took place on 22 – 23 April.
Some 200 representatives of European Union institutions, the Council of Europe, civil society, legal practitioners, academics and the media part in the event. On the first day, several panels explored the role of civil society as a core EU value and its place within the European Democracy Shield. Discussions also addressed the protection of journalists and human rights defenders participating in public debate, alongside the protection of academic freedom and the role of academia in strengthening the rule of law.
The conference addressed various aspects of the rule of law: its importance in shaping public understanding and commitment and the role of an independent legal profession in ensuring fair and just legal systems. There was also a debate on the role of ombudsman institutions and the importance of legal and civic education in shaping the rule of law.
Kosta spoke on the definition and justifications of academic freedom on the panel ‘Academic freedom and the role of the academy for rule of law attitudes’. The panel was moderated by Professor Mirosław Wyrzykowski, retired judge of the Constitutional Tribunal of Poland and Professor at the University of Warsaw. Other panelists included Professor Michał Bilewicz, University of Warsaw; Professor John Morijn, University of Groningen; Dr Monika Steinel, Deputy Secretary-General of the European University Association and Professor Renata Uitz, Royal Holloway – University of London and Democracy Institute, Central European University.