Coronavirus and the Rule of Law – Has COVID-19 infected the Rule of Law?

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With recent government restrictions imposed to curb the impact on public health of the coronavirus have also come impacts on justice systems around the world.  Closed courthouses, delayed and cancelled proceedings, postponed jury trials are one aspect.  Beyond that officials have sought increased powers including greater arrest and detention authority, and limitations on legislative and judicial action. Governments have proposed or issued new laws that restrict rights. Citizens face increased surveillance.  And social distancing and related policies to ensure that people refrain from gathering or interacting with one another can interfere with elections, legislative deliberation, free movement of peoples within and across borders, and public assembly.  From Hungary to Israel, India to South Korea, the United States to France, lawyers are increasingly expressing fears for democratic values. What is the impact of the pandemic on the Rule of Law?  Are governments finding the right balance between public health and the Rule of Law, or are they going farther than necessary?  Are the Rule of Law and democratic values in danger?  Our panel of experts will explore the concerns being raised and whether there is reason to worry.

Moderator:

• Jacqueline SCOTT, Director General, UIA-IROL, Fortney & Scott, LLC, Washington, DC, USA

Speakers:

• Ian McDOUGALL, President, LexisNexis Rule of Law Foundation, New York, NY, USA
• András SZECSKAY, Director - Independence of the Profession, UIA-IROL, Szecskay Attorneys at Law, Budapest, Hungary
• Avi SINGH, Director - Protection of Lawyers, UIA-IROL, Cicero Chambers, New Delhi, India
• Carlos FLORES JUBERÍAS, Professor of Constitutional Law, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain