Event | Nordic Workshop on Law and Crises

Time: 16 December 2022
Place: Faculty of Law, University of Turku (Calonia buidling, lecture hall Cal2, 2nd floor, address: Caloniankuja 3, Turku) & online

This workshop discussed and comparatively evaluated the recent Nordic experiences of law and crises in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, and beyond. The themes of the workshop concerned the positionality of law and protecting fundamental rights and democracy, in addition to the role of various supervisory powers in safeguarding the rule of law during crises and in managing them.

The event was organized jointly by the Faculty of Law at the University of Turku and the research project ”Just Recovery from Covid-19? Fundamental Rights, Legitimate Governance and Lessons Learned” (JuRe).

Revised program

Nordic Workshop on Law and Crises: Nordic constitutions and responses to Covid-19 and beyond (session I)

Session I of the workshop (9.00-13.00) was open to the public. Sessions (II-IV) were for invited guests. 

Time zone EET, UTC+2

Chair: Professor Elina Pirjatanniemi (Åbo Akademi University)

9.00–9.10 Opening remarks
Professor Janne Salminen (University of Turku)

9.10–9.50  Norway: An overview of law and crises
Professor Benedikte Moltumyr Høgberg (University of Oslo)
Discussant: Professor Christoffer Conrad Eriksen (University of Oslo)

9.50–10.30 Iceland: Constitutional rights in time of crisis in Iceland and principle of proportionality
Justice Björg Thorarensen (The Supreme Court of Iceland)
Discussant: Assistant Professor Hafsteinn Dan Kristjánsson (University of Iceland)

10.30–11.00 Coffee

11.00–11.40 Finland: Constitutional lessons from Finland
Professor Janne Salminen (University of Turku)
Discussant: Associate Professor (Tenure Track) Anu Mutanen (Tampere University)

11.40–12.20 Sweden: Constitutional conclusions and lessons from the pandemic in Sweden
Head of the Centre Marika Ericson (Swedish Defence University)

12.20–13.00 Denmark: The Danish legal response to the Covid-19 pandemic
Assistant Professor (Tenure Track) Sune Klinge & Professor Jens Elo Rytter (University of Copenhagen)
Discussant: Ulla Neergaard (University of Copenhagen)

13.00 End of session I of the workshop

Workshop materials

The recording of session I of the workshop was available until January 2, 2023.  If you are interested in the workshop materials, please contact Mari Taskinen, mjtask(at)utu.fi.