“Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.”
Across the world, democracy is under pressure. As of 2024, the number of authoritarian regimes exceeds that of the Cold War era. There has been a constant increase in the level of autocratic tendencies throughout the world over the past five years. This shift is not limited to fragile or young democracies. Even in countries that were at the root of modern democracy, we are witnessing a process that was once unimaginable even for political scientists. Where are these events leading our societies?
Whatever the answer to that question may be one thing is certain: nationalism and security concerns are on the rise worldwide. Outstanding factors underpinning this process seem to be the perceived interdependence between destabilized economies, inflation, rising immigration, the threat of war, and other related issues.
As a consequence of this global storm which has started to affect established democracies under the rule of law, as we know them,including in Europe and the USA, for a long time; fundamental rights and freedoms are at stake.
One of the key institutions affected by this global shift is the judiciary It is the role and function of the judiciary to guarantee the enjoyment of these rights and freedoms in a democracy governed by the rule of law. Yet, it is the same judiciary that is being instrumentalized by authoritarian regimes to undermine both the rule of law and democracy. Now, more than ever, is the time to revisit the role of the judiciary and judges in maintaining or restoring the rule of law, which can be seen as the very spirit of a functioning democracy.
The project «Backsliding Democracies – The Role of the Judiciary» aims to investigate these important topics via a number of open online events and podcasts. It seeks to show where the root causes of the problems lie, what role the judiciary plays in these developments and what could and should be done to stop them.
The events are open to public, not just politicians or legal professionals. We all have a responsibility to defend democracy. We can all contribute to the defense of justice, freedom, and the rule of law by becoming more knowledgeable about what is occurring and why.
