Global Jurist of the Year to deliver Fode Law Lecture at UND School of Law on Thursday

The Amelia and Oscar Fode Memorial Law Lecture at the University of North Dakota School of Law will be presented by Judge Igor Tuleya of the Warsaw, Poland District Court.

The lecture will be held in the VandeWalle Courtroom at the School of Law starting at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 22. A reception will be held following the lecture.

This event is free and open to the public.

Tuleya serves in the criminal division of the Regional Court in Warsaw and is known for his criticism of the state’s judicial reforms, which he sees as a threat to the independence of the Polish judiciary.

In the aftermath of a controversial ruling made by Tuleya, the Polish government implemented legislation amending judicial proceedings. The most criticized of these new laws, popularly referred to as a “muzzle law,” empowered a disciplinary chamber to bring proceedings against judges for questioning the ruling party’s platform – which at the time was the Law and Justice party. The law also allowed the Polish government to fire judges and cut their salaries for speaking out against legislation aimed at the court or questioning the legitimacy of new court appointees.

Tuleya was publicly outspoken in opposition to the new rules and submitted a request to the Court of Justice of the European Union for a preliminary ruling on the new disciplinary regime for judges. After another high-profile trial overseen by Tuleya, he was accused of disciplinary misconduct, his judicial immunity was lifted, and he was suspended from the judiciary.

In 2022, the European Court of Human Rights reviewed the case and found several process violations. The court ordered that Tuleya be reinstated.

In February 2024, Tuleya was named Global Jurist of the Year by Northwestern University’s Pritzker School of Law for his commitment to judicial integrity and independence. The annual award honors a sitting judge who has shown commitment to human rights and the rule of law in the face of adversity.

For more information on Tuleya and Poland’s current judiciary system, he was featured in a February story by NPR.

The Fode Lecture was established in memory of Amelia and Oscar Fode through a gift made to the UND Foundation by Della Mae Ramstad in honor of her parents. The fund is designated to bring international legal experts to the UND School of Law.