Berlin, 9 July 2026. The Redeker Sellner Dahs law firm will be presenting this year's Konrad Redeker Prize for the Rule of Law, Integrity and Resilience to the President of the Istanbul Bar Association, Prof. Ibrahim Özden Kaboğlu, on 4 September 2026.
In his capacities as lawyer, Bar Association President and expert on constitutional law, Prof. Kaboğlu stands up for the rule of law in Turkey, even under the most trying circumstances. He has, including in his capacity as a Member of Parliament, repeatedly drawn attention to the increasingly precarious status of the rule of law in Turkey, calling for independent judicial oversight by the Turkish judiciary. Despite criminal investigations into the Bar Association, political hostility and harassment, he remains steadfast in his dedication to the freedom of the legal profession and to ensuring that state action is constrained and bounded by law and the constitution. His acquittal in a high‑profile criminal trial in early 2026 was seen internationally as an important signal of solidarity among European legal professions. “Ibrahim Özden Kaboğlu embodies in an extraordinary manner the values that this prize stands for: rule of law, integrity and resilience. His tireless commitment to the independence of the legal profession and the judiciary deserves the highest acknowledgement,” comments Dr Ulrich Karpenstein, partner at Redeker Sellner Dahs and Vice‑President of the German Bar Association.
Redeker Sellner Dahs awards the Konrad Redeker Prize to honour individuals who champion the fundamental principles of the rule of law under difficult circumstances. The award was established in 2025 and is presented annually to legal professionals who, through their work, strengthen the independence of the judiciary and the legal profession and defend the values of the rule of law in the face of political or institutional pressure. “The rule of law thrives on people who are willing and prepared to assume responsibility and stand up for its principles even in adverse circumstances. Highlighting and honouring this commitment is the aim of our prize,” observes Ulrich Karpenstein. Hans‑Peter Hoh, Chair of the firm’s Management Committee, adds: “The award winners exemplify the importance of an independent judiciary for a democratic state governed by rule of law. We as a law firm feel a responsibility to raise public awareness of threats menacing the structures underpinning the rule of law and to ourselves make a contribution to safeguarding and upholding them.”
The award is named after Prof. Dr Konrad Redeker, whose work had a lasting impact on the development of the rule of law in the Federal Republic of Germany. As a lawyer and champion of the independence of the judiciary, he dedicated his life to defending the freedom of the legal profession and ensuring that state action is constrained by law and order. At the same time, he was among those who, from an early stage, encouraged a critical analysis of the jurisprudence profes‑sion's Nationalist Socialist past. His vision of a vigorous yet liberal rule of law remains, to this day, the standard which the Konrad Redeker Prize seeks to uphold and preserve.
