Backsliding democracies-The role of the judiciary

5/5 Professor Satterthwaite detailed four main strategies used by political leaders to dismantle judicial independence by politicizing institutions, reducing their power, misusing legal processes to punish actors, and employing extreme unlawful measures like public denigration.

4/5 Professor Pech reinforces the idea that the rule of law crisis is an "existential threat" to the EU and the Council of Europe, citing strong language from the presidents of both the CJEU and the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).

1/5 We uploaded the video of our first webinar with English subtitles. You can watch the video on the following link. Stay tuned for upcoming events and subscribe to the newsletter on our webpage. youtube.com/watch?v=zmkom-… backslidingdemocracies.org/newsletter/

2/2 We also extend our warm thanks to all our attendees and listeners for their interest, presence, and engagement. Please subscribe to the newsletter for upcoming events. backslidingdemocracies.org/newsletter/

1/2 We have just concluded the first webinar of our project Backsliding Democracies – The Role of the Judiciary. Our sincere thanks go to our distinguished speakers: 🔹 Prof. Margaret Satterthwaite 🔹 Prof. Laurent Pech 🔹 Prof. Petra Bard for their insightful presentations.

4/4 🎙️ Moderated by Dr. h.c. Thomas Stadelmann (Swiss Institute for the Judiciary) ✅ Registration required: backslidingdemocracies.org/registration 🔗 Learn more at: backslidingdemocracies.org #BackslidingDemocracies #RuleOfLaw #JudicialIndependence #Authoritarianism #HumanRights #Webinar

3/4 🎤 Speakers: 🔹Dr. Margaret Satterthwaite (UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers) 🔹 Laurent Pech (Dean, UCD Sutherland School of Law) 🔹 Dr. Petra Bard (Professor at Radboud University)

2/4 Political pressure on democratic institutions is rising worldwide. But how do these dynamics unfold? What role do courts and other institutions play in resisting—or enabling—authoritarian shifts?

1/4 🛑 Webinar I – Join Us Live! 📆 July 7, 2025 | 4:00–5:50 PM (CEST) 🧭 Topic: The Path to Authoritarianism – Backsliding Democracies and the Role of the Institutions

4/4🎧 Listen now on: «Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Youtube or backslidingdemocracies.org/podcast_01 » 🔗 Stay engaged. Stay informed: register for the newsletter on backslidingdemocracies.org on a new line.

3/4 In this episode • The causes and goals of political discourse targeting judges • How to distinguish legitimate critique from attempts to undermine j. independence • Options courts have when navigating attacks • The broader consequences for democracy and the rule of law

1/4 New Podcast Episode Out Now! 📢 Judges as the Enemy, Politicized Justice – the first episode in our series Backsliding Democracies: The Role of the Judiciary – is now live across all major platforms.

3/3 Join us in this vital conversation. Democracy belongs to all — and so does the duty to protect it. 🔗 backslidingdemocracies.org #Judiciary #RuleOfLaw #BackslidingDemocracies #JusticeMatters #HumanRights

2/3 Across the world, democracies are under threat. The judiciary can be a guardian, a target, or even a driver of backsliding. We’re exploring these crucial questions with leading experts.

1/3 We’re proud to launch “Backsliding Democracies – The Role of the Judiciary”, a public series of podcasts and online events exploring the growing threats to democracy — and the critical role courts play in resisting backsliding.