Institutional Independence as a Bulwark against Autocratization

The ICON-S Concept Integration in Comparative Law Interest Group is convening a panel at the 2026 ICON-S Annual Conference in Dublin, Ireland (June 29–July 1, 2026). The exact day and time of this panel have not yet been determined. The panel examines institutional independence — particularly of courts and legislatures — as a mechanism for preventing democratic backsliding and autocratization. Topics covered include parliamentary autonomy, lobby interest representation, judicial corporatism, and judicial resistance, with attention to both how such independence functions and where its limits lie. The discussion is aimed at legal practitioners working within these institutions, as well as constitution drafters designing institutions for democratic resilience.

Speakers:

Chair: Ashley Moran (University of Texas at Austin, United States)
Discussant: Lisa Hilbink (Aix-Marseille Université, France)

- Debra Angus (Lambton Chambers, New Zealand) — Safeguarding Democracy: Strengthening the Legislature's Independence in a Fractured World
- Ylenia Citino (Pegaso University, Italy) — The Constitutional Stakes of Regulating Interest Representation: Insights from the Italian Reform
- Julio Ríos-Figueroa (Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de Mexico, Mexico) — Judicial Resistance to Autocratization: The Bright Side of Judicial Corporatism
- Kataríná Šipulová (Masaryk University, Czech Republic) — The Limits of Judicial Resistance