Recent rule of law crises have followed a very similar pattern. In Hungary and Poland, political actors knew how to (mis)use the constitution and legal interpretations to shape the institutions, and most crucially, to disempower the judiciary. If powerholders can backslide from rule of law by using legal means to attack the judiciary, then it may be avoided by strengthening the judiciary. The aim of our project is to study what is the key content of the rule of law which cannot be abandoned even in times of crises. In addition, we study how courts' independence can be strengthened. The courts' role to resist rule of law erosion will be examined through legal, philosophical (in particular, virtue ethical) and political perspectives.

2025

2029