The Network of the Presidents of the Supreme Judicial Courts of the European Union will hold its Conference on Friday, 12 June 2026, in Lemesos (Limassol), Cyprus. The Conference is hosted by the Supreme Court of Cyprus, in collaboration with the Secretariat of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU 2026.
Programme overview
The Conference will open with a working session on "Rule of Law: Challenges in the 21st Century," moderated by Mr Donal O'Donnell, Chief Justice of Ireland and President of the Network. Introductory presentations will be delivered by Dr Tatu Leppänen, President of the Supreme Court of Finland; Dr Síofra O'Leary, Hauser/Remarque Fellow at NYU and former President of the European Court of Human Rights; Mr Maciej Szpunar, First Advocate General of the Court of Justice of the European Union; and The Right Honourable Richard Wagner, P.C., Chief Justice of Canada.
The second working session, "Protecting individuals' rights in the digital sphere – the impact of the Digital Services Act," will take place in the afternoon. It will be moderated by Dr Danguolė Bublienė, President of the Supreme Court of Lithuania, who will also deliver an introductory presentation alongside Dr Savvas S. Papasavvas, Vice-President of the General Court of the European Union.
A word from the host
Ms Katerina Stamatiou, President of the Supreme Court of Cyprus, said:
“It is a great honour for the Supreme Court of Cyprus to host this year's Conference of the Network here in Lemesos. We are especially glad that this gathering brings together not only the members of our Network, but also distinguished representatives of the European courts and of jurisdictions beyond the European Union that share the same fundamental values — the rule of law, judicial independence and the protection of individual rights. In an era of profound legal and technological change, the dialogue between our highest courts has never been more important, and we look forward to welcoming our colleagues to Cyprus in a spirit of friendship and common purpose.”
A word from the President of the Network
Mr Donal O’Donnell, Chief Justice of Ireland and President of the Network, said:
“The conference of the Network will provide a valuable opportunity for the Presidents of Europe's supreme courts to meet and discuss issues of mutual concern. One of the great strengths of the Network is that it facilitates open and informed dialogue between its members and enables us to learn from one another's experience in a spirit of collegiality and mutual respect.
The main theme of this year's conference, ‘Rule of Law: Challenges in the 21st Century’, is one of particular significance. I am particularly pleased that the discussion will benefit not only from the perspectives of members of the Network, but also from contributions from the European Court of Human Rights, the Court of Justice of the European Union and the Supreme Court of Canada. The opportunity to consider these questions from different judicial perspectives will, I am sure, enrich the discussion.
I am very grateful to President Stamatiou and to the Supreme Court of Cyprus for hosting this year's conference.”
About the Network
The Network of the Presidents of the Supreme Judicial Courts was created in 2004 by the Presidents of the Supreme Judicial Courts of the European Union. The registered office of the Network is in Paris.
The Members of the Network are the Presidents of the Supreme Judicial Courts of the EU Member States. In addition, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and the United Kingdom have been admitted as Associate Members, and Albania, Montenegro, Serbia and Ukraine participate as Observers.