Thursday 24 October 2024
Location: Auditorium, Main Building (2nd floor), Fabianinkatu 33 & Online
There is a limited number of seats available to the event. Please register via the link below.
Schedule (subject to change; see descriptions below)
12:00–12:15 Opening ceremony
12:15–13:15 Leo Mechelin Keynote Lecture
13:30–14:30 Panel discussion: Strong Institutions and the Rule of Law
14:45–15:45 Panel discussion: Evidence-based Ways to Curb Corruption
16:00–17:00 Networking event in the lobby
Registration to the event is open and is required for participation in person and online. Participation is free. All registered online participants will receive a link to follow the live stream close to the event.
In 2022, the Rule of Law Centre at the University of Helsinki, in collaboration with the Leo Mechelin Foundation, announced a new, annual Leo Mechelin Keynote Lecture as part of the Rule of Law Day programme. The Board of the Rule of Law Centre and the Board of the Leo Mechelin Foundation jointly award the Leo Mechelin Medal of Honour to a distinguished proponent of the rule of law and nominate them as the Leo Mechelin Keynote Lecturer.
The 2024 Leo Mechelin Keynote Lecturer will be announced later.
The first-ever Leo Mechelin Medal of Honour, 2022, was awarded to Professor Emeritus of Jurisprudence, Kaarlo Tuori. From 1998 until his retirement in 2022, Professor Tuori was a member and a long-time Vice-President of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe (officially the European Commission for Democracy through Law). The Commission's Rule of Law Checklist has become an important source for the rule of law in Europe and beyond. In Finland, Professor Tuori is known especially for his long-term expertise on the Constitutional Law Committee, his membership in several constitutional reform committees, and his significant academic career spanning over 50 years at the University of Helsinki.
In 2023, Professor James A. Robinson, the internationally esteemed economist and political scientist at the University of Chicago, was awarded the Leo Mechelin Medal of Honour. Professor Robinson is well known for his wide-ranging research in the social sciences and extensive publications on economic and political differences between nations. His works co-authored with Daron Acemoglu, Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty (2012) and The Narrow Corridor: States, Society and the Fate of Liberty (2019), examine the relationship between institutions, political power and economic inequality, claiming that participatory political and economic institutions are a prerequisite for welfare and the rule of law. Robinson is known as a tireless defender of good governance, democracy and participatory institutions. Before his appointment at the University of Chicago, Robinson carved out a significant career at, among others, Harvard University and the University of California, Berkeley.
The panel discussion will explore the critical relationship between robust institutions and the rule of law, fundamental components in ensuring stable, equitable, and prosperous societies. Esteemed experts from the fields of law, public policy, and governance will engage in a comprehensive dialogue, examining how strong institutions not only enforce the rule of law but also contribute to its integrity and legitimacy.
The discussion will be moderated by Krista Taubert.
Thw panel discussion will focus on the application of evidence-based strategies to effectively combat corruption, a pervasive challenge that undermines governance, development, and public trust. Prominent experts in anti-corruption, economics, and public policy will share insights from research and practice, exploring proven methodologies and innovative solutions to reduce corruption at both local and global levels.
The discussion will be moderated by Krista Taubert.