Constitutional Safeguards against Autocratization

This panel, convened by the ICON-S Concept Integration in Comparative Law Interest Group, examines constitutional safeguards against democratic backsliding and autocratization. It takes place at the 2026 ICON-S Annual Conference in Dublin, Ireland (June 29–July 1, 2026), with the specific day and time yet to be determined.

The panel addresses how political leaders incrementally undermine democratic norms, consolidate executive power, erode the rule of law, and shape election outcomes — and how constitutions, courts, and legal professionals can respond. Presentations cover recent government strategies for consolidating power alongside innovative legal and judicial approaches to defending democracy.

Speakers include:

Chair: Ashley Moran (University of Texas at Austin, United States)
Discussant: David Kosař (Masaryk University, Czech Republic)

- Dragoș Călin (Bucharest Court of Appeal, Romania) — Autocratization in Romanian Judiciary
- Emilio Peluso Neder Meyer (Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil) — Judicial Self-Preservation and Democratic Defence: Precedent, Innovation, and the Brazilian Supreme Court in the Bolsonaro Coup Attempt Case
- Remzije Istrefi-Peci (Constitutional Court of Kosovo, Kosovo) — Bridging Theory and Practice Between Academia and Constitutional Courts: The Case of Kosovo
- Amnon Reichman (University of Haifa, Israel) — Constitutional Capture and Judicial Resistance: Concepts, Doctrines and some reflections from Israel