International Presentation at Kozminski University: Protecting Constitutional Values

On March 19, 2026, Kozminski University (Warsaw, Poland) hosted an international presentation titled “Securing Constitutional Values: Lessons from the United States, Poland, and Ukraine.”

According to the Financial Times, Kozminski University is the top-ranked business school in Central and Eastern Europe. In the Global Masters in Management rankings, the University holds the 36th position worldwide.

Event Highlights and Speakers

The event was held in a hybrid format, bringing together faculty, students, and legal experts. The keynote speakers were American attorney Ken Bernhard and Dmytro Kamenskyi, Professor of the Department of Law at Berdyansk State Pedagogical University (BSPU). Their presentations focused on key mechanisms for protecting constitutional values in democratic states, including:

• The role of the judiciary;
• The principle of the rule of law;
• The balance between national security and human rights.

Notably, Mr. Bernhard has long-standing ties with our university. In 2015, he taught at BSPU for two weeks, lecturing to law students and actively participating in faculty and university-wide events.

Ukraine’s Experience Under Martial Law

Professor Dmytro Kamenskyi presented the Ukrainian experience of securing constitutional values under martial law. He highlighted challenges related to:

1. Human Rights Protection: Maintaining legal safeguards during armed conflict.
2. Legal System Stability: Adapting criminal legislation and ensuring the continuity of the state.
3. European Integration: The transformation of national law under the influence of European standards and international law.

Professor Kamenskyi emphasized that despite systemic challenges—such as attacks on critical infrastructure and blackouts—fundamental constitutional principles like the rule of law, state sovereignty, and the priority of human rights remain steadfast anchors. He specifically noted that the Constitution of Ukraine cannot be amended during martial law, underscoring its stabilizing role.

Criminal Justice and Reforms

The second part of the presentation focused on the criminal justice system during wartime. Professor Kamenskyi provided current statistics on the Ukrainian judiciary, noting the significant workload of the Supreme Court, which continues to administer justice and reduce case backlogs despite the war. He also discussed the evolution of the legal system, specifically the increasing role of the Supreme Court’s legal positions, which brings the national system closer to elements of case law.

The final segment covered anti-corruption policy and legal education reform:

• Anti-corruption: Identified as a key condition for sustainable development, supported by specialized bodies and open state registries.
• Education: The shift toward hybrid learning formats and alignment with European standards for training legal professionals.

International Perspective and Collaboration

In his turn, Ken Bernhard outlined contemporary American approaches to constitutional rights, emphasizing judicial review, institutional independence, and legal precedent. A comparative analysis with the Polish legal system allowed participants to explore shared challenges and diverse solutions.

The event served as a vital platform for international dialogue, confirming the importance of comparative legal research in addressing global challenges. Academic cooperation between the BSPU Department of Law and European legal institutions continues.

Dmytro Kamenskyi