ICEL’s Rule of Law Conference: A Union of Values? The EU’s Rule of Law Tool

Examining the EU’s rule of law toolkit and its effectiveness in tackling democratic backsliding across the European Union.
About this Event

The Members’ Committee of The Irish Centre for European Law (ICEL) will host a Rule of Law Conference themed “A Union of Values? The EU’s Rule of Law Toolkit and the Retreat from Democracy” on 4 November 2026 (4-5.30pm) at Chartered Accountants House, 47-49 Pearse St, Dublin 2, D02 YN40 followed by a networking reception (5.30-6.30pm).

The Conference is designed to examine the European Union’s rule of law toolkit; infringement proceedings under Article 258 TFEU, the Rule of Law Conditionality Regulation, and the Article 7 TEU procedure and to consider how effectively these instruments are holding up against democratic backsliding across the Union, with particular reference to Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Italy, Malta and Romania.

The Conference will comprise of a panel discussion, a Q&A session and a closing keynote address followed by a networking reception.

The closing keynote address will be delivered by Justice Gerard Hogan, Judge of the Supreme Court of Ireland.

The contributors of the panel discussion will be:

• Faye Breen, the Deputy Director of the Office of the Attorney General and Ireland’s Representative to the European Commission for Democracy through Law, (more commonly known as the Venice Commission).
• Professor Laurent Pech, Full Professor of Law, Dean of Law and Head of the Sutherland School of Law.
• Bernadette Quigley SC a practising barrister since 2003 who was elevated to Senior Counsel in 2020 and practices in practices across EU law, regularly appearing before the Court of Justice including in cases on taxation, EU telecoms and the rule of law.
• Benedetta Lobina, a doctoral researcher and lecturer at the Sutherland School of Law, University College Dublin, and an adjunct Assistant Professor in Law at Trinity College Dublin.
• Krizia Testa BL (Moderator), a practising barrister since 2025 and practises in human rights, defamation, media, EU and public law, with particular interest in press freedom and the rule of law.

The Programme and biographies of the Speakers will be available shortly.

If you have any queries about this Conference, please email [email protected].

There are 1.5 CPD points available for this Conference.

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