Guest lecture by EU Commissioner Mr Michael McGrath
(L to R President of UCD, Prof Orla Feely, Commissioner Michael McGrath, Dean of Law, Prof Laurent Pech, Principal of the College of Social Sciences & Law, Prof Niamh Moore Cherry)
The UCD Sutherland School of Law had the privilege of welcoming Mr Michael McGrath, the EU Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the rule of law and consumer protection in the second von der Leyen Commission. Commissioner McGrath’s guest lecture focused on the European Commission’s role in upholding the rule of law.
In his introduction, Professor Laurent Pech Dean of Law and Head of the UCD Sutherland School of Law, recalled that in his new capacity, Commissioner McGrath’s is responsible for inter alia upholding and strengthening the core values and principles that underpin the EU. He further noted that Commissioner McGrath has inherited some of the EU’s most difficult files, from democratic and rule of law backsliding to the enforcement of crucial pieces of EU legislation such as the EU’s Digital Market Act in a broader context where national and international actors, public but also private, are engaged in increasingly open and defiant non-compliance with their EU and international law obligations.
In his lecture, Commissioner McGrath detailed the development of the EU’s rule of law toolbox over the past decade and highlighted how the European Commission has addressed rule of law backsliding at Member State level via legal and financial means.
Addressing a packed audience consisting of students and faculty, Commissioner McGrath said “It is an honour to speak at the esteemed UCD Sutherland School of Law, addressing the next generation of solicitors, barristers, prosecutors, government officials, and judges - both for Ireland and for Europe. The rule of law is the bedrock of our Union, ensuring that democracy, justice, and fundamental rights are upheld in every Member State. I am confident that the young people I met with today, will fulfil their role as future guardians of justice and that they will uphold the EU‘s common values. I wish them every success in their future endeavours.”