From 24 to 26 September 2025, San Pablo CEU University (Madrid) hosted the XXXI Ordinary Conference of the Spanish Association of Professors of Public International Law and International Relations (AEPDIRI) under the theme “Justice in a Global World: Courts and International Society.” More than 230 participants gathered at an event which, from its opening session, was marked by reflections on the role of courts in defending International Law and the Rule of Law.
The inaugural session, which paid tribute to Professor Concha Escobar Hernández, featured the participation of academic authorities and the President of AEPDIRI. In his address, José María Beneyto highlighted the need to “rationalise political conflicts through Law,” stressing the importance of civil society pressure in the absence of effective coercive mechanisms at the international level.
The opening lecture was delivered by Juan Manuel Gómez-Robledo, judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ). He emphasised the growing recourse to the ICJ as a mechanism for the peaceful settlement of disputes, recalling recent cases such as South Africa v. Israel or Nicaragua v. Germany. He underlined the importance of advisory opinions, which, although non-binding, contribute to consolidating international standards in matters of erga omnes obligations and the protection of common goods such as the environment. His remarks reflected a central idea: International Law continues to be an indispensable tool to contain political tensions and prevent violence, despite its structural limitations.
The first sessions focused on the proliferation of courts and their interaction with States and non-State actors. Professor Carlos Esplugues spoke of the “global legal supermarket” (forum shopping and forum selling) and of the challenges posed by new areas such as artificial intelligence and blockchain. Professor Santiago Ripol, in turn, reviewed Spain’s appearances before the ICJ, stressing the defence of essential principles such as the prohibition of the use of force, minority rights, and the right to self-determination.
Professor Inmaculada Marrero focused on global civil society as a force for participation and oversight in international governance. Her contribution underlined how transnational movements help to strengthen the legitimacy of institutions, an aspect directly linked to the reinforcement of the Rule of Law.
Another axis of debate concerned the relationship between national and international courts. Professor Cristina Izquierdo stressed that there is no formal hierarchy between jurisdictions, but rather a practical preference for the application of Human Rights and Fundamental Rights. She argued for a more systematic use of preliminary references to the CJEU as a means of strengthening judicial cooperation.
The communications also offered valuable perspectives: from the role of Eurojust, through the war in Ukraine, to jurisprudential controversies surrounding freedom of expression and the ECtHR. These contributions highlighted the interdependence between international justice and the protection of democratic values.
Particular interest was raised by the session devoted to compliance with international judicial decisions. Professor Jaume Ferrer emphasised the absence of effective mechanisms to sanction non-compliant States in the ICJ, in contrast with the Council of Europe and the expulsion of the Russian Federation in 2022. In the case of the European Union, he highlighted the role of the CJEU and the infringement procedure (Article 258 TFEU), as well as the limitations of Article 7 TEU, which has not yet been applied in either its preventive or sanctioning dimension. His reflections pointed to the need to rethink the EU’s legal instruments for addressing Rule of Law challenges.
In the same line, Professor Ana Gascón analysed the interim measures of the ECtHR and the decline of the Rule of Law in Europe, drawing on the Commission’s Annual Reports on judicial independence, the fight against corruption, press freedom, and institutional checks and balances.
The closing lecture was delivered by José Martín y Pérez de Nanclares, judge of the General Court of the European Union, who reflected on the role of the CJEU in a “changing international context.” He highlighted the fundamental values of Article 2 TEU, the protective mechanisms of Article 7, the accession criteria of Article 49, and voluntary withdrawal under Article 50, but recalled the absence of an expulsion mechanism. He underlined the implicit competence of the CJEU to safeguard the Rule of Law, defending a more extensive use of preliminary references and infringement proceedings.
In his address, he also stressed the primacy of EU Law, the effectiveness of financial sanctions, and the importance of the European Arrest Warrant, concluding with a self-critical reflection on the length of judgments and the role of doctrine in consolidating the European project.
The XXXI AEPDIRI Conference provided a first-class forum for debate on the role of courts in international society and, in particular, on the challenges involved in protecting the Rule of Law both in the international system and in the European Union.
From the ICJ to the CJEU, including the ECtHR and Eurojust, the debates showed that the rule of law remains a contested field, but also a horizon of hope in the face of polarisation and global uncertainty. In this context, the close link between international justice and the Rule of Law was highlighted, since the “law of the strongest” (increasingly present today) often leads to the disregard of Rule of Law standards and to situations where some States fail to comply both with interim measures ordered by international courts and, in certain cases, with their own judgments.
At the European level, there was even discussion as to whether non-compliance with a CJEU ruling could constitute a breach of the Union’s values enshrined in Article 2 TEU, or whether an infringement action could be brought before the Court based solely on the violation of the Rule of Law, without the need to invoke any other substantive provision of Union law. The existing connection between political polarisation and the functioning of international justice was also underscored.
The Conference was attended by team members Susana Sanz Caballero and Zitan Peng Hao, with Susana Sanz being appointed a member of the scientific committee of the event. In that capacity, she contributed to the selection of the papers that enriched the debate, helping to shape the panels that made up the XXXI AEPDIRI Conference.
