Religious Freedom in International Law - 4th Int. Conf. on Law
We are pleased to announce the 4th International Scientific Conference on Law, which will bring together scholars, researchers, and legal professionals from Europe. The conference aims to foster interdisciplinary dialogue, exchange of ideas, and the presentation of cutting-edge research in the field of international law.
A special focus of this year’s conference will be devoted to the importance of religious freedom as a fundamental human right, as well as to the legal and societal implications of agreements between states and the Holy See. These agreements represent a unique intersection of international law, constitutional law, and canon law, and play a significant role in shaping the protection of religious rights and the relationship between religious communities and public authorities.
Participants will have the opportunity to engage in discussions on contemporary legal challenges, share their research findings, and build international academic and professional networks.
Maribor, May 13, 2026
Hotel Habakuk, Pohorska ul. 59, 2000 Maribor
The conference will be held in English, with simultaneous interpretation into Slovenian.
PROGRAM
9:00–9:30 Registration of participants
9:30–9:45 Welcome addresses
9:45–10:05 Opening lecture: Religious Freedom in International Relations
Simona Drenik Bavdek, Ph.D., Human Rights Ombudsman of the Republic of Slovenia
10:10–12:30
The Role of Agreements between the Holy See and Hungary
Balázs Schanda, Ph.D., Prof.The Catholic Church and the Republic of Croatia: The Relationship between International Treaties and Implementing Agreements as Sources of Croatian National Law
Ivan Milotič, Ph.D., Prof.The Holy See and Italy: Protection of Religious Freedom
Michele Maria Porcelluzzi, Ph.D., Asst. Prof.Slovenia and the Holy See in Search of Further Dialogue
Rok Janez Šteblaj, LL.B.
12:30–13:00 Discussion and closing of the conference
Organizing Committee of the International Conference:
Ivan Milotič, Ph.D., Prof.
Luka Martin Tomažič, Ph.D., Assoc. Prof.
Sebastijan Valentan, Ph.D., Asst. Prof.
Simona Drenik Bavdek, Ph.D.
Simona Drenik Bavdek holds a PhD in Law and serves as an Associate Professor of Constitutional and International Law.
2016: PhD in Law (cum laude), Faculty of Law, University of Ljubljana. Doctoral dissertation entitled “International Judiciary and Its Impact on the Promotion of the Rule of Law”.
2003: The Hague Academy of International Law.
2002: Master of Laws (LL.M) in International Law (with honours), Faculty of Law, Utrecht University, the Netherlands.
2001: State Administration Examination.
2000: Bachelor of Laws (cum laude), Faculty of Law, University of Ljubljana.
1990–1994: Bežigrad Grammar School.
1982–1990: Danila Kumar Primary School, Ljubljana.
2020-2026: Assistant Head of the Human Rights Center at the Human Rights Ombudsman of the Republic of Slovenia. At the Ombudsman's office, she played a key role in consolidating its position as a national human rights institution with A status in accordance with the United Nations Paris Principles. At the international level, she is actively involved in the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ENNHRI). In October 2024, she was elected to the ENNHRI Management Board for the period 2025-2028, and since 2023 she has also been co-chairing the Legal Working Group within the network.
2015–2019: Secretary at the Directorate for Criminal Law and Human Rights, Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Slovenia. She was a member of the project group responsible for the execution of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights and served as Gender Equality Coordinator. As an expert, she cooperated with the Council of Europe. She played an important role in drafting the Act on the Protection of Children in Criminal Proceedings and their comprehensive treatment in the Barnahus (Children’s House).
2000–2015: Diplomat at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia. As Minister Plenipotentiary, she served for several years as Head of the International Law Division, Head of the Project Unit for representation before the Arbitral Tribunal, Agent of Slovenia before the Arbitral Tribunal in the border dispute between Slovenia and Croatia, and previously as Head of the Human Rights, Council of Europe and OSCE Department, Legal Adviser to the Minister’s Cabinet, diplomat at the Permanent Mission of Slovenia to the OSCE in Vienna and Secretary in the Political Multilateral Affairs Division. She also chaired the Inter-Ministerial Commission for Human Rights. During Slovenia’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union (2008), she led the priority dossier on the Lisbon Treaty as Legal Adviser, and during Slovenia’s OSCE Chairmanship (2005), she headed the OSCE human dimension at the Permanent Mission in Vienna. She participated in numerous bilateral and multilateral international negotiating delegations and conferences. From 2009 to 2012, she also served as Rapporteur of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
2016–2026: Associate Professor of Constitutional and International Law at the Faculty of Law and Economics, Catholic Institute.
She is the editor, author or co-author of numerous scientific and professional publications in the fields of human rights, national human rights institutions, international law, and the rule of law. She has contributed to analyses and publications of the Human Rights Ombudsman and to alternative reports submitted to international monitoring mechanisms of the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the European Union, and other international organizations on the state of human rights and the rule of law in the Republic of Slovenia.
She regularly lectures and participates as a speaker at national and international professional conferences, seminars, and training programmes, addressing issues of human rights protection, the role of national human rights institutions, international monitoring mechanisms, and challenges to the rule of law in contemporary democratic societies. She also lectures at the Administrative Academy.
During her studies, she served as President and previously Vice-President of the Student Council of the University of Ljubljana and the Student Council of the Faculty of Law, University of Ljubljana.
In her professional and academic work, she consistently integrates theory and practice. Her expertise focuses on the protection of human rights, the functioning of national and international monitoring mechanisms and courts, and the strengthening of the rule of law.
She is married and the mother of two children.
Members of Parliament elected her as a new Ombudswoman at a session on February 3, 2026, with 62 votes in favor and no votes against.
Foto: HR Ombudsman of Slovenia
Rok Janez Šteblaj, LL.B.
Rok Šteblaj passed the professional examination at the Ministry of Justice in Ljubljana in 1994, followed by the state judicial (bar) examination on 27 June 1996. From 1 October 2025, he has been enrolled in third-cycle doctoral studies in Theology at the Faculty of Theology in Ljubljana. Earlier in his academic path, he completed an assignment entitled “The Constitutional Court under the New Constitution.”
Since 10 May 2021, Rok Šteblaj has served as Secretary at the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia. In this role, he is responsible for defence-related matters, heads the Department for Defence Crisis Planning, and serves as Director of the Administration of the Republic of Slovenia for Military Heritage. Prior to this, from 18 December 2000 to 9 May 2021, he worked as Secretary at the Ministry of Justice. There, he led the International Cooperation Division, managing and coordinating its work, and was actively involved in judicial cooperation in civil matters, including preparing expert opinions and participating in working bodies of the European Union, the Council of Europe, the Hague Conference, and the United Nations. He also headed the Division for Redressing Injustices and Supporting Victims of Crime.
Between 15 December 1997 and 17 December 2000, he served as an Advisor at the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia, working with the Committee on European Affairs, where he prepared materials, analyses, and opinions, and later acted as Secretary of the Committee, leading the professional team and assisting the chair. From 1 December 1993 to 14 December 1997, he worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as an Advisor, including in the Minister’s Office and in departments dealing with non-European countries and international law, where he prepared expert materials, opinions, and policy positions. He began his professional career as a trainee at the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia from 1 June 1993 to 30 November 1993.
Foto: Radio Ognjišče
Michele Maria Porcelluzzi, Ph.D., Asst. Prof.
Michele Maria Porcelluzzi was born in San Giovanni Rotondo (FG) in 1986 and grew up in Barletta, where he attended the “Alfredo Casardi” Classical High School.
After a period of study at Duke University in the USA, he graduated in Law from Bocconi University in 2010. In 2015, he qualified for the legal profession.
He was ordained a priest and incardinated in the Archdiocese of Milan on June 11, 2016, by Cardinal Archbishop Angelo Scola. He obtained a Licentiate and a Doctorate in Canon Law from the San Pio X Faculty in Venice. In 2025, he published his doctoral dissertation with Marcianum Press: “The Law of the Church in Emergency Situations: A Study Based on the Measures Adopted in Italy During the Recent Pandemic.”
From 2016 to 2019, he served as a collaborator in the Legal Office of the Curia of Milan, an office responsible for the study of civil and canon law concerning ecclesiastical entities and their activities. In 2019, he became Operational Coordinator of the same office, also dealing with the application of regulations related to the COVID-19 emergency.
Since 2001, he has been an official referee in the Barletta section of the Italian Referees Association (AIA–FIGC), for which he has served as a member of the National Board of Arbitrators (Probiviri) since 2025.
Since 2023, he has been the Advocate General of the Curia of Milan and Head of the Legal-Legislative Observatory of the Lombard Bishops. In the same year, he also became a collaborator of the General Secretariat and the Office for Legal Issues of the Italian Episcopal Conference.
Foto: Facoltà San Pio X di Venezia
Ivan Milotič, Ph.D., Prof.
Ivan Milotić is a full professor at the Faculty of Law of the University of Zagreb.
He received his education at the Pazin College – a classical grammar school. In 2006, he graduated from the Faculty of Law in Zagreb summa cum laude as the best student. In 2012, he received his doctoral degree at the post-graduate study programme in Civil Law and Family Law Science.
He is the President of the Committee for Statutory Matters at the University of Zagreb. He is a member of multiple university bodies and committees. He is a former member of the Ethics Council of the University of Zagreb, external (expert) member of the Legislation Committee and the Judiciary Committee of the Croatian Parliament. He is legal adviser of the Legal Commission of Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE), and the head of the Institute for Roman Law and Legal History of the Faculty of Law of the University of Zagreb.
In 2021, the Roman Pontiff Francis conferred him with the Order of St. Gregory the Great and the associated knighthood (a state award of the Holy See) for his legal service toward the Holy See, promotion of the canon law science in the Republic of Croatia as well as the revitalisation of the course at the Faculty of Law in Croatia on the intertwining of the canon law and civil law.
He has prepared translations (from Latin, Ancient Greek and Istro-Venetian) of and commentaries on the Edict of Milan (313), Statute of Motovun (12th century – 1507), Capitulary Book of Momiano (1521), Sententia Tridentina (1535) and Statute of Vrsar (1609-1768).
Foto: University of Zagreb, Faculty of Law
Balázs Schanda, Ph.D., Prof.
Born year: 1968
Member of the Constitutional Court since 1 December 2016.
He graduated in law from the Faculty of Law of Eötvös Loránd University in 1993. From 1993 to 1999 he was a staff member at the Constitutional Court. From 1999 to 2002, he headed the Department of Church Information and Coordination at the Ministry of National Cultural Heritage. From 2003 to 2007 he worked again at the Constitutional Court. He passed the bar exam in 1996, obtained a licence in canon law in 1999, a PhD in 2003 and a habilitation in 2010.
He was appointed a university professor in 2012. His professional interests focus mainly on constitutional law and public ecclesiastical law. He was a lecturer at the Eötvös Loránd University and later at the Faculty of Law of Pázmány Péter Catholic University. From 2006 he was the Head of the Department of Constitutional Law, and between 2007 and 2013 he was Dean of the Faculty.
Foto: Constitutional Court of Hungary
