A lot depends on attorneys. INPRIS with the Bar on Fundamental Rights

20 June 2018. According to "the theory of team games" formulated once by prof. Ewa Łętowska (first Polish Ombud and Constitutional Tribunal judge) attorneys may have really big influence. They, like footballers, pass the courts a ball. If the passing is good it makes it easier for the court (sometimes forces the court) to take a position.

Today, at the headquarters of the District Bar Council in Warsaw, a seminar on the application of EU Charter of Fundamental Rights by attorneys takes place. It is organized by INPRIS in cooperation with ORA Warsaw, the Human Rights Commission of the Supreme Bar Council and the Human Rights Section at the ORA in Warsaw.

If lawyers professionally refer to the Charter of Fundamental Rights, in the court case in which they appear, or adequately motion the court to ask a preliminary reference question to the CJEU, it may inspire the court (or even convince), and the chance of using the Charter increases.

INPRIS conducts seminars on the Charter also for judges. We believe, however, that attorneys can have a large impact on the greater opening of courts and judges to European law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights.

A group of 20 attorneys who take part in today's seminar gives such hope. Participants are interested, ask a lot of questions, some already have their own experiences with the Charter. After the initial part of the seminar, lawyers started to work on practical case studies.

Seminars are held as part of the international project "Judging the Charter" co-financed by the European Union and the Stefan Batory Foundation.