Defending the Rule of Law in Times of Crisis: Past, Present and Future Perspectives

A Workshop in Uppsala 12–13 June 2025

We live in times of multiple threats and challenges. War, climate change, pandemics, polarization and more, put society and everyday life into perspective. Each of these threats also seriously challenges democracy and the rule of law, implicitly as well as directly, blatantly so during this spring. This workshop brings together Nordic and Baltic legal researchers to examine weaknesses, resilience and restoration of the rule of law – nationally and regionally – contextualizing, analyzing and imagining past, present and future situations. The researchers participating all have unique insights into how constitutional fundaments such as the rule of law have been tested and questioned in concrete cases. What have we learnt from 20th century examples? How do historical and contemporary examples influence future choices and how we relate to state, administration and civil society?

• Dag Michalsen, Olof Palme Visiting Professor 2025, Appointed by the Swedish Research Council.
The theme of the Olof Palme Visiting Professorship 2025 is Experiences of Crisis. Nordic Constitutional History, in Particular During the Interwar Period.

PROGRAM:

Thursday 12 June
Welcome: Anna Singer, Dean of the Faculty of Law
– Session 1: Past and Present
• Erik Wennerström: Echoes of the 20th Century: The Rule of Law, the ECtHR, and Democratic Resilience in Europé • Anna Jonsson Cornell: The Rule of Law & National Security – a Swedish Perspective • Comments: Elin Boyer & Inger Österdahl
– Session 2 : Restoring the Rule of Law
• Karin Sein & Merike Ristikivi: Restoring the Rule of Law in Estonia • Comments: Sara Holmström & Caroline Taube
– Session 3 : Defending the Rule of Law
• Anna-Sara Lind: The Constitutional Human Rights Protection • Olof Wilske: Constitutional Sustainability • Comments: Rawaz Shanagar & Dag Michalsen

Friday 13 June
– Session 4: Dismantling the Rule of Law
• Hans-Petter Graver: How Autocrats Dismantle the Rule of Law • Comments: Shirin Ahlbäck Öberg & Linnéa Gullholmer • Panel Discussion: Shirin Ahlbäck Öberg, Görel Granström, Linnéa Gullholmer, Sara Holmström, Dag Michalsen, Erik Wennerström. Moderator: Anna-Sara Lind

– Venue: Faculty Room (fakultetsrummet), Faculty of Law, Uppsala University, Trädgårdsgatan 1, Uppsala
– Registration at Medfarm. Friday, May 30th is the last day to register – For further information, please contact Marianne Dahlén