The conference aspired to convene stakeholders of the EEA and Norway grants, members of the judiciary (encompassing judges, judicial council/court administrations) from Norway, Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria, and Lithuania respectively. Additionally, invitations will be extended to other countries as well.

Anticipating the participation of approximately 100 distinguished individuals, we look forward to fostering an environment of international exchange and collaboration.

The focus of the conference is centered around current developments in Europe, featuring sessions on pertinent topics such as "Judicial Independence and Accountability - Current Issues and Challenges Facing the Judiciaries," "Recent Developments of the CJEU Jurisprudence Regarding Judicial Independence," and "Judicial Resistance Against Authoritarian Measures Aiming to Limit Judicial Independence”, to mention but a few.

The conference will adopt an interactive format, integrating presentations with group work and practical workshops. We hope to engage participants in discussions and facilitate the exchange of experiences between researchers and practitioners, thereby raising awareness about threats to the Rule of Law and judicial independence. Furthermore, the conference aims to delineate effective tools to counter inappropriate stress and pressure on judges.
The conference has emerged as a spin off from the University of Oslo's project, entitled "How do rulers seek judicial compliance with authoritarian measures, how do judges react to such measures, and what are the conditions under which an independent judiciary breaks down?" Read more here.

The event is financed by the EEA/Norway Grants cooperation and organized by the Norwegian Courts Administration (NCA), in partnership with the Lithuanian Courts Administration and with the University of Oslo as lead experts.