Rule of Law Day 2026

The 5th annual Rule of Law Day will be held on Wednesday 7 October 2026 in the Small Hall of the University of Helsinki’s Main Building and online.

The Rule of Law Day is an event open to all, bringing together leading international and Finnish experts in development cooperation and the rule of law from the public sector, NGOs, and universities to discuss the successes and challenges of rule of law work. The event can also be followed and commented on online.
Programme

Wednesday 7 October 2026
Location: Small Hall, Main Building (4th floor), Fabianinkatu 33 & Online

Places are limited. Please register using the link below.

 

Schedule (subject to change)

9:00–9:15 Opening ceremony

  • Tuija Brax, Director, Rule of Law Centre
  • Katri Viinikka, Ambassador for Democracy and the Rule of Law, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland

9:15–10:20 Leo Mechelin Keynote Lecture

  • Lauri Mälksoo, Professor of International Law, University of Tartu

10:30–11:45 Panel discussion: The Rule of Law Dimensions of EU Enlargement

  • Johanna Rainio-Niemi, Professor of Political History, University of Helsinki
  • Nino Tsereteli, Programme Coordinator, Democracy Reporting International
  • Tyyne Karjalainen, Research Fellow, Finnish Institute of International Affairs

11:45–13:00 Light lunch and coffee served in the lobby
Leo Mechelin Keynote Lecture

Each year, as part of Rule of Law Day, the University of Helsinki’s Rule of Law Centre and the Leo Mechelin Foundation award the Leo Mechelin Medal to a distinguished advocate of the rule of law. The programme also includes the recipient’s Leo Mechelin Keynote Lecture.

The 2026 Leo Mechelin Keynote Lecturer is Lauri Mälksoo, Professor of International Law at the University of Tartu.

Mälksoo is a distinguished scholar of international law. His research focuses particularly on the history and theory of international law. His work has examined the relationship of the Soviet Union and Russia and international law, as well as the state continuity of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania following the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Previous recipients include Professor Emeritus Kaarlo Tuori (2022), Professor James A. Robinson, Nobel laureate in economic sciences (2023), Professor Alina Mungiu-Pippidi (2024), and Academician of Science and Professor Emeritus Martti Koskenniemi (2025).
Panel discussion: The Rule of Law Dimensions of EU Enlargement

The panel explores the role of the rule of law in EU enlargement, the opportunities and challenges the accession process presents for candidate countries, and what enlargement means for the EU’s own commitment to the rule of law.
Registration

Please register for the event using the link provided by 6 October 2026. Places are limited.