We are honoured to welcome Adam Bodnar, the Ombudsman for Human Rights in Poland and a staunch defender of judicial independence since 2015. The independence of judges is a core pillar of democracy. In the last five years, however, the Polish government has passed laws to control and subjugate judges. Today judges face punishment for defending the Polish constitution and EU laws.
Why does the rule of law crisis in Poland matter to all young Europeans? What is at stake if the judiciary is no longer independent in one of the biggest EU member states? How to protect democracy inside the EU? Is the European Court of Justice in a position to address this crisis? What is the role of an Ombudsman Office?
We are looking forward to discussing these questions with Adam Bodnar on May 31. During his time in office Adam Bodnar was one of the leading defenders of civil society and of human rights. In 2011 he was awarded the Tolerance Prize by Polish LBGT organizations. As Ombudsman Adam Bodnar brought several local governments to court for their “LGBT-free zone” law. Last month he was forced out of office by the ruling party.
Join us for this unique discussion with one of the leading human rights and democracy defenders in Europe - and find out why the Polish crisis is a European crisis that concerns us all.
