Why Ordo Iuris?

The Ordo Iuris Institute for Legal Culture is an independent legal organization incorporated as a foundation in Poland. It gathers academics and legal practitioners with the aim of promoting a legal culture based on respect for human dignity and rights. Ordo Iuris pursues its objectives by means of research and other academic activities, as well as advocacy and litigation. Ordo Iuris has intervened as a third party in Polish and international court and administrative proceedings, including before the Polish Supreme Court, the European Committee of Social Rights and the European Court of Human Rights. Ordo Iuris has had the honour of being permitted by the presidents of the European Court of Human Rights to make written observations in numerous cases, inter alia, Bodnariu v. Norway (n° 73890/16), Annen v. Germany (n°70693/11), Rabczewska v. Poland (n° 8257/13), and Cupiał v. Poland (n° 67414/11). 

The Ordo Iuris Institute has submitted its opinions upon the request of the Venice Commission, the Monitoring Committee of the PACE and the LIBE Committee of the European Parliament. It has also formally provided opinions to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, the Commissioner for Human Rights, the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy of the PACE, the UN Human Rights Council, as well as supreme courts and constitutional tribunals of numerous countries such as Brazil, Chile and Croatia. The foundation is accredited by the European Parliament (registered under n° 206499215012-94) and participates actively in the decision-making process of laws. Moreover, Ordo Iuris has ECOSOC consultative status with the United Nations. 

Every day people are confronted with various radical ideologies that aggressively question the existing social order. Such ideologies are not aimed at improving or healing society, but instead seek to destroy its very foundation, including the foundation for Poland that is clearly confirmed and affirmed by the Polish Constitution. The words spoken by Marek Safjan, who warned of believing in the automatic driving force of mere statements from the Polish Constitution, turn out to be relevant today. Their application can often create an illusion of stability rather than a real guarantee of social order.

We believe there is a pressing need for lawyers to become actively involved in the defense of the Constitution. For this reason, we have been guided by the idea of the legal order – ordo iuris.

Law is too complex a subject to be presented as a mere set of rules or invoking only the authority of natural law. Lawyer involvement in the law has to take into consideration the context created by extralegal regulatory systems, the practice of law and, more broadly, the whole culture. This is why Ordo Iuris is the Institute for Legal Culture.

Taking into account the complexity of the legal system, we want Ordo Iuris to combine harmoniously different types of actions to promote order in social life and in legal transactions. This is why we combine academic and expert activity with participation in litigation as well as the education of young lawyers. We also believe that it is equally important to present society with genuine and credible information about changes occurring in the contemporary legal culture. Although this requires the use of different communication channels, we always strive for superior quality in all of our endeavors and are convinced that our efforts are worthwhile.