First FL-EUR Conference - 11 October 2021

ISDC-FL-EUR-University of Geneva Online Conference 'Autonomy and Protection of Adults? Striking the Right Balance' – 11 October 2021

On the 11^th of October 2021, FL-EUR - together with the Swiss Institute of Comparative Law (ISDC) and the Faculty of Law of the University of Geneva - organised the online conference ‘Autonomy and Protection of Adults? Striking the Right Balance’.

Addressing adult protection has become a matter of pressing concern and wide attention in a world with rapidly aging populations. Across Europe, policymakers are facing the question of how to ensure that all individuals are offered the support they need while being allowed to live lives of dignity. This includes older adults who have become cognitively impaired as well as young adults who have mental disabilities stemming from intellectual disabilities or psycho-social illness. In legal studies, the topic of adult autonomy is generating particular interest in two subdisciplines: family law and disabilities law. Research and activity in both areas are actively shaping discussions on policy, but each takes a somewhat different framework of principles as the starting point. The aim of the conference was to bring the two perspectives closer together. In addition, the initial results of FL-EUR’s work on its first project Empowerment and Protection of Vulnerable Adults were presented. More information on the programme can be found here.

Videos of pre-recorded presentations were made available to participants in the week leading up to the conference and were followed by short summaries on the conference day itself, providing ample opportunity for extensive and interesting discussions. Videos of the pre-recorded presentations and a recording of the presentations and discussions on the 11th of October have now been made available to a broader audience and links to these presentations can be found below.