Inside Day Six at IBA Copenhagen: Rule of Law Symposium Puts Global Justice and Political Lawfare in Focus
Final-day programme examines international security, the relationship between law and justice, and the use of legal processes against political opponents
By Reloaded News Desk
The 2026 International Bar Association Annual Conference reached its final day in Copenhagen on Friday, October 9, with a Rule of Law Symposium examining challenges facing international law, justice institutions and the legal profession.
The programme at the Bella Center brought together international legal practitioners and experts for three sessions addressing international peace and security, the relationship between law and justice, and the weaponisation of legal processes in the age of populism.
The symposium formed the concluding substantive programme of the six-day conference, which began on October 4 and brought together lawyers and other legal professionals from jurisdictions around the world.
International Peace and Security in a Multipolar World
The first session, “International peace and global security in a multi-polar world,” was scheduled for 9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.
Federica D’Alessandra of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace chaired the discussion. The listed speakers were Steven Hill of the United Nations, Frank Hoffmeister of the European External Action Service and Amanda Wall of NATO.
The session focused on the condition of international law, norms and institutions amid the shift towards a multipolar world and increasing rivalry among major powers.
The subject places international legal frameworks and institutions at the centre of debates about global security, international cooperation and the application of established legal norms.
The Difference Between the Rule of Law and a Just Rule of Law
The second session, “Not just the rule of law, but a just rule of law,” was scheduled for 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Myra Garrett of William Fry and Adam S Goodman of Dentons were listed as chairs. Speakers included Isaac Amon of Washington University in St. Louis School of Law, Deborah Enix-Ross, Secretary-General of the IBA, Thomas Kjems and Ole Spiermann of Bruun & Hjejle.
The session was designed to examine how law and legal institutions can be used as instruments of authoritarianism, and why justice must remain central to the rule of law.
The subject raises questions about the exercise of legal authority, the protection of rights and the responsibility of lawyers to uphold justice rather than merely rely on the existence of formal legal procedures.
Lawfare and Lawfair in the Age of Populism
The final listed symposium session, “Lawfare and lawfair in the age of populism,” was scheduled for 2:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.
Robert Bernstein of Holland & Knight chaired the session. The listed speakers were Kelsi Brown Corkran of the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy & Protection, Andrew Crichton of the Danish Bar and Law Society, Alberto Mora of Harvard’s Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights, Michael Polak of Church Court Chambers and Mathijs van Riet of the European Young Bar Association.
The session focused on the use of legal processes against perceived political opponents in different jurisdictions and the implications for populism and the rule of law.
The subject intersects with concerns about judicial independence, due process, political accountability and public confidence in justice institutions. It also highlights the importance of distinguishing legitimate legal proceedings from the misuse of legal mechanisms for political ends.
A Fitting Close to Six Days of Legal Debate
The final-day programme followed discussions throughout the conference on the future of legal practice, artificial intelligence, professional ethics, corporate governance, arbitration, mediation and the changing international legal market.
Nigerian lawyers featured in the wider conference programme. Babatunde Ajibade SAN chaired the Day Five session on pressures facing the legal profession, while Isaiah Bozimo SAN chaired a session on the role of sitting judges in arbitration and mediation.
Their participation reflected the presence of Nigerian practitioners in discussions addressing issues that extend across national legal systems and international professional practice.
The final-day symposium brought the conference’s attention back to the foundations of the legal profession; the integrity of legal institutions, the fair exercise of legal power and the relationship between law and justice.
As the Copenhagen conference concludes, these subjects remain relevant to legal practitioners and institutions confronting questions of judicial independence, international accountability and public trust.
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