Across jurisdictions, legal systems are increasingly confronted with periods of structural stress. Rapid geopolitical developments, institutional change, and growing pressures on established legal frameworks are testing the stability of both domestic legal systems and the international legal order. In this context, courts and legal institutions play a vital role in safeguarding the rule of law, ensuring the continuity of adjudication, and maintaining public confidence in legal processes.

At the same time, the effective functioning of the international legal order depends on sustained respect for international law and on the capacity of legal institutions to interpret and apply it consistently. The central question, therefore, is not only how legal principles are articulated, but how legal systems remain institutionally resilient and capable of upholding the rule of law in times of uncertainty and pressure. Here, resilience is understood as the ability of legal institutions to withstand stress, adapt where necessary, and preserve constitutional and legal integrity over time.

The Forum brought together senior judicial, academic, and institutional actors to examine the resilience of legal systems and the rule of law in the face of contemporary geopolitical, constitutional, and technological challenges. The exchange provided an opportunity to reflect on the capacity of legal institutions to maintain stability, legitimacy, and effectiveness during periods of institutional stress and rapid change.

The discussions addressed a range of interconnected themes, including:

• Constitutional resilience and the protection of fundamental rights from both judicial and practitioner perspectives;
• The role of cross-border legal cooperation and international legal frameworks in supporting legal certainty and the effective functioning of legal systems;
• Legal education, professional training, and institutional capacity-building as key elements in strengthening the resilience of legal institutions;
• Comparative perspectives on the challenges facing legal systems across jurisdictions and the mechanisms available to safeguard the rule of law and judicial independence;
• The implications of digital transformation, cyber governance, and evolving global legal spaces for legal systems and adjudication;
• Potential avenues for future cooperation and initiatives aimed at reinforcing the resilience of legal systems and sustaining public confidence in the rule of law.

The Forum concluded with a discussion on possible areas for further work, identifying a number of issues that may merit continued reflection and collaboration among participating institutions.

The list of participants is available here.