Rule Of Law

Irish lawyers and judges have been urged to show solidarity with members of the Hungarian judiciary protesting this weekend against government interference with their independence. Petra Polonkai, the first Hungarian to complete the barrister-at-law degree at the King's Inns, told Irish Legal N

The European Commission has launched a new social media campaign aimed at bringing the idea of the rule of law closer to EU citizens and raising awareness of its impact on people's everyday lives. The campaign will focus on the six core principles defining the rule of law — equality before the

EU member states have made progress in addressing rule of law issues over the past year, according to the European Commission's latest annual rule of law report. More than two-thirds (68 per cent) of the recommendations issued in the 2023 report have been fully or partially addressed, the report say

Poland's nearly decade-long rule of law crisis is over, the European Commission has declared. Around six months after an election which removed the country's right-wing Law and Order (PiS) party from government, the Commission has said it believes there is "no longer a clear risk of a serious breach

The head of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) has signed a pledge to uphold the rule of law and the independence of the legal profession. Chief commissioner Alyson Kilpatrick joined Law Society president Darren Toombs to sign the Society's new pledge, launched in response to incre

Northern Ireland's justice minister has signed a pledge to uphold the rule of law in the face of public attacks on lawyers in the media and by politicians. Naomi Long is the first elected representative to sign the pledge, which is an initiative of the Law Society of Northern Ireland.

The rule of law is in decline across the EU, according to a civil liberties network. Berlin-based Civil Liberties Union for Europe's annual report found that challenges to the rule of law were sporadic in old democracies with mainstream parties in power, including Germany and France, but that deteri

The Bar of Northern Ireland and JUSTICE, the law reform and human rights charity, will this week host a panel discussion on how an incoming Westminster government can advance the rule of law, ahead of a general election later this year. The panel discussion, A Manifesto for the Rule of Law, is the s

Professor Laurent Pech considers the future of the rule of law in the EU. The history of the rule of law in EU law has been one of gradual process of formal Treaty enshrinement followed by the swift development of the EU’s “rule of law toolbox” in response to unexpected backsliding

Chief Justice Donal O'Donnell this morning opened a second two-day conference on access to justice, this time focusing on civil legal aid. We reproduce below the bulk of his opening address. Civil legal aid might indeed have been an obvious focus of the first conference of the Access to Justice Grou

The rule of law in Ireland has regressed in a number of areas, including systemic human rights issues, according to a new report. The Liberties Rule Of Law Report 2023 assesses the state of justice, corruption, media freedom, checks and balances, civic space and systemic human rights issues in 2022,

Judges have a duty to speak out when the rule of law is under threat at a national or international level, according to new guidelines from the Council of Europe’s Consultative Council of European Judges (CCJE). The CCJE was asked by the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers to prepare an

Hungary is set to lose billions of euros of EU funding in connection with breaches of the principles of the rule of law under proposals from the European Commission. Around €7.5 billion could be withheld pending Hungary's implementation of remedial measures agreed after months of talks between

Irish lawyers are acting on behalf of European judges who are suing the Council of the European Union over a decision to release funds to Poland despite continued concerns over the rule of law. The lawsuit has been filed in the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) by the Association of Euro

The rule of law in Hungary is under serious threat as Viktor Orbán’s government constantly abuses its authority to influence the courts, a senior judge has said. Csaba Vasvári, a senior judge at the Budapest metropolitan court, told The Observer that he and other members of the j