Judicial Cultures of Independence and Their Meaning for the Rule of Law Compliance: Law in Crisis (JCILC)” is launching today. Launch "Judicial Cultures of Independence and Their Meaning for the Rule of Law Compliance: Law in Crisis (JCILC)"

Against the institutional backdrop of the Émile Durkheim Research Unit: Crisis Analysis, and funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe Programme (Cluster 2 – Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society), the research project “Judicial Cultures of Independence and Their Meaning for the Rule of Law Compliance: Law in Crisis (JCILC)” is launching today. Building on the paradigm developed at the Käte Hamburger Research Centre 'Law as Culture'-which was explicitly highlighted during the evaluation process for this consortium project - we are addressing the disturbing reality of the growing threat to the 'rule of law' and an 'erosion of the law'. This is all the more dramatic given that the European Union has constituted itself as a community based on the 'rule of law', and that one of the often neglected functions of law is to diagnose crises, prevent them where possible, or limit their consequential damage. Consequently, for us - and for the European Commission's funding body - the 'cultural significance' of this issue is beyond question. 

The consortium brings together partners from across Europe and beyond, including Werner Gephart, Matthias Herdegen, Ryszard Bobrowicz, Pierre Brunet, Diana Villegas, Marta Bucholc, Lior Barshak and Angela Condello. What sets our approach apart is our collaboration at an international level and the multidisciplinary nature (ranging from law to cultural studies); and the evaluators have expressly emphasised not only the legal-theoretical aspect but also the humanities component when comparing the legal cultural manifestations of 'Rule of Law', 'État de Droit' and 'Rechtsstaat' in Europe. To this end, the project will develop a 'Rule of Law Crisis Framework' and test it in individual country studies, with the aim of developing practical guidelines for an 'early warning system' and also suitable resilience strategies, with potential implications for legal education in Europe.

At the Émile Durkheim Research Unit, we are particularly excited to contribute our expertise in crisis analysis and the sociological study of institutions, legitimacy, and social cohesion. The project reflects our commitment to understanding crises not only as moments of disruption, but also as opportunities to rethink the foundations of democratic societies.
We look forward to the coming years of collaborative research and exchange with our partners, stakeholders, and wider academic community.

Disclaimer: Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. The European Union cannot be held responsible for them.