In its long-awaited judgment in Case C-769/22 Commission v Hungary, the Court has held for the first time that a Member State has violated Article 2 TEU. Not only finds the judgment that Article 2 TEU contains legally binding obligations, but also that these can form a self-standing ground of infringement. While the Court’s previous value-related case law focused on judicial independence, this case broadens the Court’s role in defending an inclusive, pluralistic and democratic society more broadly.

Join CEL members to unpack the Court's judgment and discuss its implications for the EU’s constitutional system.

Bios

Professor Takis Tridimas, Director of the Luxembourg Centre for European Law

Prof. Takis Tridimas is the Founding Director of the Luxembourg Centre for European Law (LCEL) at the University of Luxembourg. He is a member of the Advisory Board of the Centre for European Law at King’s.

Prof Tridimas is a leading scholar in the field of European Union law and one of the most frequently cited authors by Advocates General of the European Court of Justice and, on matters of EU law, by English courts. Before joining the LCEL in October 2024 Prof. Tridimas was Professor at King’s College London (2013 – 2024). Previously, he was the Sir John Lubbock Professor of Banking Law at Queen Mary College, University of London (2004-2013).

Professor Robert Wintemute, Professor of Human Rights Law, King’s College London

Robert Wintemute is a Professor of Human Rights Law. He joined The Dickson Poon School of Law in 1991 after practising as an Associate in the Bankruptcy Department at Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP in New York, 1982-87. In 1978, Professor Wintemute completed his BA in Economics at the University of Alberta (which included a year at Université Laval). In 1982, he earned his LLB (common law) and BCL (Québec civil law) in the National Programme at McGill University. In 1993, he was awarded his DPhil by the University of Oxford.

Dr Darren Harvey, Senior Lecturer in Law and Director of Undergraduate Studies, King’s College London

Dr Darren Harvey is a Senior Lecturer in Law and Director of Undergraduate Studies at The Dickson Poon School of Law. Prior to joining King’s in 2019, Dr Harvey was an Early Career Fellow in EU law at Edinburgh Law School. He wrote his doctoral thesis on constitutional review by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) at the University of Cambridge. Before writing his thesis, Darren worked as a research assistant to Prof. Thomas Giegerich at the Jean Monnet Chair of European Union Law and European Integration. Darren holds a Master of Laws (LLM) degree in European Law from the Europa Institut at Saarland University, and an LLB (Hons) from Edinburgh Law School. Darren has taught a wide range of EU law and Public Law courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. In 2018, he was a Stagiaire in the cabinet of Judge Ian Forrester at the General Court of the CJEU.

Dr Vilija Vėlyvytė, Lecturer in EU Law, King’s College London

Vilija is a Lecturer in EU Law at The Dickson Poon School of Law, King's College London, whose research and teaching span EU law, constitutional law, and internal market regulation. Before joining King’s in 2025, she held academic and research posts at the University of Reading, University of Oxford, and New York University School of Law, and previously worked at the Legal Service of the European Commission. Originally from Lithuania, she holds an LLB and Master’s in International Law from Mykolas Romeris University, and a DPhil, MPhil, and MJur (Distinction) from Oxford, where she was supported by the Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarship. Her award-winning monograph, Judicial Authority in EU Internal Market Law (Hart, 2022), has been recognised for its outstanding contribution to both legal scholarship and European studies, and she is currently available to supervise PhD students.

Miriam Schuler, Lecturer in German Law, King’s College London

Miriam Schuler is a Lecturer in German Law and Programme Director of the LLB programme in English Law and German Law. She is also a member of the Centre of European Law at King’s College London.

Miriam is completing her PhD in European Law at King’s College London, which was fully funded by an AHRC London Arts & Humanities Partnership Research Studentship. Her PhD thesis explores the EU’s defence of democracy against its Member States, and carves out democratic standards Member States are bound by as a matter of EU law.

Prior to joining King’s, Miriam passed the First Legal State Examination in Berlin. She also holds a Master in European Law from the Université Paris II Panthéon-Assas as well as a Master of Laws in Transnational Law from King's College London.

Professor Oana Stefan, Director of the Centre of European Law, King's College London

Oana Stefan is a Professor at The Dickson Poon School of Law, which she joined in 2013. Previously, she was an Assistant Professor within the legal department of HEC Paris (a leading business school), after having taught European Union law at the College of Europe and University College Dublin. She holds a PhD in European Law from University College Dublin, a Master in European Legal Studies from College of Europe and undergraduate law degrees from University of Bucharest and the Sorbonne.

Please note this is an online event.