Join Mary Robinson and leading legal voices to ask: can international law still constrain power in a fractured world?
What happens when international law is no longer treated as a constraint on power?
At a time of profound geopolitical fracture, the authority and credibility of the international legal order are increasingly being tested. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the continuing unlawful occupation of Palestine and repression of Palestinians, pressure on international courts and their officials, and challenges to the institutions established in the aftermath of the Second World War raise difficult questions about the consistency, legitimacy, and enforceability of international law.
On Thursday, 22 October, Irish Rule of Law International (IRLI), in partnership with the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), will bring together leading voices from law, human rights, government, and international justice for a major public conversation in Dublin.
Taking place during Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the evening will ask a fundamental question:
What role can law realistically play in constraining power in an increasingly fractured world?
Keynote address: Mary Robinson
Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and member of The Elders, will deliver the keynote address, reflecting on the international rule of law at a time when the post-war legal architecture and multilateral institutions designed to constrain power are facing growing political pressure.
Her address will be followed by remarks from a representative of the Irish Government and a panel discussion examining what defending the rule of law means in practice — for lawyers, judges, governments, justice institutions, and civil society.
Panel discussion
The discussion will be chaired by Dr Andrew Forde, Deputy Director of the Dublin European Law Institute at Dublin City University.
Panellists:
Aonghus Kelly — International Human Rights Lawyer
Linda Kasonde — Zambian Lawyer and Rule of Law Advocate
Darragh Mackin — Human Rights and Public Law Solicitor
Drawing on experiences across different jurisdictions, the conversation will explore the pressures facing legal and justice institutions, the consequences of inconsistent application of international law, and the role that lawyers and institutions can play in protecting its authority.
The evening will also coincide with a visit to Ireland by a delegation of senior Ukrainian judges, providing a timely example of international and cross-jurisdictional cooperation in strengthening justice institutions.
The conversation
Among the questions we will explore:
- Can international law retain legitimacy when it is perceived to be applied inconsistently?
- What happens when courts, judges, lawyers, and international justice institutions come under political pressure?
- What responsibilities do governments and the legal profession have in defending the authority and independence of international justice mechanisms?
- What can lawyers, judges, and justice institutions actually do when the rule of law is under strain?
- And what role can Ireland and Europe play in defending a rules-based international order?