Chief Justice gives keynote address at European Law Institute Annual Conference 2026

The Chief Justice, Mr Justice Donal O’Donnell, attended the European Law Institute (ELI) Annual Conference 2026, held in Paris from 1 to 5 September.  

In his capacity as both Chief Justice of Ireland and President of the Network of the Presidents of the Supreme Judicial Courts of the Member States of the European Union, Mr Justice O’Donnell delivered a keynote address on the importance of the rule of law, judicial independence and effective cooperation between Europe’s highest courts.  Mr Justice O’Donnell participated in a discussion on the conference’s themes alongside President of the European Court of Human Rights Matthias Guyomar, moderated by journalist Joshua Rozenberg.  

This year's conference was organised under the theme “Europe and the Rule of Law: Cultural Engagement and Legal Resilience”, exploring how legal institutions can maintain public trust and institutional resilience in an increasingly complex social, technological and international environment.  Discussions focused on issues including judicial resilience, emerging technologies, legal harmonisation, access to justice and the protection of legal professionals.

As well as marking the 15th anniversary of the European Law Institute, this year’s annual conference celebrated the centenary of UNIDROIT (the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law and brought together judges, legal practitioners, academics and policymakers from across Europe to discuss contemporary legal challenges and the future development of the rule of law. 

Founded in 2011, the European Law Institute is an independent organisation dedicated to improving the quality of European law through research, discussion and collaboration among legal professionals and institutions.