So on Monday, 12.5. starting 7 p.m., in the premises of the Cultural Front Association (M. Tita 42, Opatija) a lecture entitled “The trial of democracy: Judicial review of the law-making process” held by dr. sc. Viktor Zoltán Kazai, postdoctoral researcher with Université Libre de Bruxelles. The lecture will be held in English, Everyone is invited to join.
Constitutional courts are often called upon to adjudicate democratic disputes. Some of the particularly frequent, particularly important but sometimes less visible disputes involve the adoption of laws. Laws are acts that should apply to everyone equally and that must therefore have everyone's consent. It is ensured regularly precisely through the democratic legislative process. However, the legislative process is at the same time complex and as such open to manipulation;. That is why it is shown that judicial oversight is important to reduce the possibility of abuse of the law-making process. Irregularities can be caused by the significant role of the executive, especially the government, which has huge capacities professional administrations and is inclined, in the name of efficiency and implementation of the ruling majority policy, to sacrifice the finesse of the parliamentary process. In addition, the aspirations of certain ideologies that can be politically represented may dictate ignoring or aggressively suppressing the democratic nature of legislation. As a result, the rights of the opposition or the protection of a minority position may be restricted. In both cases it is important to reflect on the role of courts, their possible interference in stopping irregularities, but also their limitations in doing so.
Viktor Zoltán Kazai is Hungarian lawyer and academic specialising in European law, Comparative constitutional law and protection of human rights. It currently acts as Postdoctoral researcher the Institute for European Studies (Institut d’études européennes) Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), where she participates in the research project RED-SPINEL, funded by Horizon Europe. His latest book “The Equilibrium of Parliamentary Law-making: Comparative Perspectives on the Role of Courts in a Democracy’ (Routledge, 2024) analyses the constitutional consequences of procedural irregularities in the legislative process and the role of courts in preserving the legitimacy of democratic processes.
Organizers from the Association “Cultural Front” invite everyone interested to listen to an interesting and very relevant lecture, exchange thoughts, join forces and learn something new.
This lecture takes place as part of the project Opatija Coffeehouse Debates.
