Symposium: Justiz Macht Politik – how independent is the judiciary, how free is the legislator?

Symposium

  • Date: Nov 27, 2018
  • Time: 10:15 AM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Susanne Baer / Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger / Jasper von Altenbockum / Michael Stolleis / Oliver Lepsius / Hans Vorländer / Tomasz Tadeusz Koncewicz
  • Moderators: Michaela Hailbronner / Jakob Schemmel
  • Location: Akademie der Wissenschaften und der Literatur, Geschwister-Scholl-Straße 2, 55131 Mainz
Symposium: Justiz Macht Politik – how independent is the judiciary, how free is the legislator?

For quite some time, the separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary seemed a tenet of the Western political belief-system – a settled issue, far from controversial. These times are over. Europe finds itself confronted with a renewed debate concerning the place of the judiciary in the framework of state-power. In 2017, the Polish government enacted a controversial reform of its judiciary, therewith seizing greater control and influence over the appointment of judges and the country’s highest court. Poland is but an example among a number of countries that continue to diverge from the concept of separation of powers and the independent judiciary. They face criticism from countries like Germany and the EU institutions. In turn, Germany and EU institutions are criticized for subjecting politics to the realm of jurists. The German Federal Constitutional Court and the European Court of Justice are seen as crossing the line between the legal sphere and the political sphere by getting involved in fundamental political questions and 'legislating from the bench'. We deem it an urgent matter to examine the difference between necessary political effects of (constitutional) jurisprudence, on the one hand, and the political manipulation of the judiciary, on the other. 

We cordially invite you to the public symposium, which will take place on 27 November, starting at 10:15. You can find further details in the attached leaflet or online: http://www.adwmainz.de/kalender/eintrag/symposium-der-jungen-akademie-mainz-justiz-macht-politik.html.

Speakers include:
Susanne Baer – Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger – Jasper von Altenbockum
Michael Stolleis – Oliver Lepsius – Hans Vorländer – Tomasz Tadeusz Koncewicz.

Michaela Hailbronner and Jakob Schemmel will chair the panel discussion.

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