Second anniversary of the Faculty of Law at the Catholic University of Croatia marked with academic conference on Blessed Alojzije Stepinac

On Wednesday, 11 November 2026, the feast day of St Martin, the patron saint of the Faculty of Law at the Catholic University of Croatia (CUC), the Faculty celebrated its second anniversary with a formal academic ceremony and a conference entitled “80 years since the conviction and 10 years since the annulment of the conviction of Blessed Alojzije Stepinac – rectifying an injustice caused by the abuse of political power under the communist regime”.

The programme began with Holy Mass in the University Chapel, followed by a formal academic ceremony in the Aula Magna of the Catholic University of Croatia. The ceremony opened with a prayer led by University Chaplain Rev. Branimir Jagodić and the Croatian national anthem, performed by the Ivan Goran Kovačić Folklore Ensemble.

The ceremony was attended by Archbishop of Zagreb and Grand Chancellor of CUC, Archbishop Dražen Kutleša; Cardinal Josip Bozanić; Apostolic Nuncio to Croatia, Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli; General Secretary of the Croatian Bishops’ Conference, Asst. Prof. Krunoslav Novak, PhD; Ivan Malenica, PhD, representing the Speaker of the Croatian Parliament; and Minister of Science, Education and Youth, Prof. Radovan Fuchs, PhD, representing the Prime Minister of Croatia.

Other distinguished guests included President of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Croatia, Prof. Frane Staničić, PhD; Deputy President of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Croatia, Prof. Darko Milković, PhD; representatives of judicial institutions, the diplomatic corps, government bodies and the academic community; deans and vice-deans of law faculties; and representatives of public and civic life.

The first address was delivered by the Dean of the Faculty of Law at CUC, Assoc. Prof. Kristian Turkalj, PhD, who presented the achievements of the Faculty’s first academic year and the enrolment results for its second generation of students.

“At this moment, as we reflect on the results of our first academic year and the enrolment of our second generation of students, we can proudly say that our vision of legal education has begun to take shape in the full reality of academic life,” the Dean emphasised.

Speaking about interest in the law programme, Turkalj noted that 236 prospective students had expressed interest in enrolling, with 92 selecting the CUC law programme as their first choice. A total of 45 students were admitted.

He also highlighted the active participation of law students in University life, including Jakov Ladešić, President of the CUC Student Council, and Vlatko Grošeta, a member of the University Senate.

Over the past year, the Faculty has strengthened its teaching staff and secured its own premises in Building C of the University campus. Practical legal education has also been expanded, including through the Administrative Law Practicum, while 51 partnerships have been established with government bodies, professional chambers, companies and representatives of various legal professions.

“We want our students not only to master legal regulations, but also to apply their knowledge to concrete cases through practical exercises and gradually become familiar with the functioning of the administrative and judicial systems through direct contact with institutions, judicial bodies and members of the legal professions,” Turkalj stated.

The Faculty has also established cooperation with 14 foreign law faculties across 11 countries and become a member of the International Association of Law Schools. As an important milestone in its publishing activities, the Dean highlighted the publication of the Faculty’s first university textbook, European Union Law, authored by Kristian Turkalj, Tunjica Petrašević and Karla Ressler, and co-published by CUC and Školska knjiga.

Following the screening of a short film about the Catholic University of Croatia, the Rector, Prof. Željko Tanjić, PhD, addressed the gathering. He recalled that it was precisely on 11 November 2024 that the University received accreditation to offer its integrated undergraduate and graduate law programme.

“For the Catholic University of Croatia, the establishment of the Faculty of Law did not merely mean expanding our academic programmes. It represented an important step forward in our development and the fulfilment of the University’s long-standing vision,” the Rector emphasised.

Speaking about the Faculty’s future, he underlined the importance of maintaining academic quality, an individual approach to students, and the connection between theory and practice. He also addressed the challenges facing the legal profession as a result of technological developments, artificial intelligence and increasingly complex social relations.

“Our task is to prepare them for a changing world and for challenges that we cannot yet fully anticipate,” Tanjić stated, encouraging students to use their knowledge to contribute to a fairer and better Croatian society.

The gathering was also addressed by the Minister of Science, Education and Youth, Prof. Radovan Fuchs, PhD, representing the Prime Minister of Croatia. He emphasised that over the past two decades, the Catholic University of Croatia has grown into a modern and internationally recognised university, continuously developing its academic programmes and improving study conditions while remaining faithful to the values upon which it was founded.

He also highlighted the particular mission of Catholic universities in connecting academic education with justice and responsibility towards others. Referring to the renovation of the University campus, located on the site of a former military barracks, he noted that the Croatian Government had allocated €33.5 million for its comprehensive restoration, preserving the complex while adapting it to the needs of a modern university.

Speaking about the Faculty of Law, the Minister welcomed the opportunity for students to gain practical insight into the application of law from the very beginning of their studies through cooperation with lawyers, courts and notary offices. He also addressed the development of artificial intelligence and the new legal questions it raises, including privacy protection, stressing that legal scholarship must respond to these changes while safeguarding the fundamental principles of legal proceedings. In conclusion, he emphasised the Government’s responsibility to create the conditions for high-quality higher education and academic freedom.

The Archbishop of Zagreb and Grand Chancellor of CUC, Archbishop Dražen Kutleša, delivered an address entitled “The cloak of justice and the courage of conscience”, drawing a connection between St Martin, the Faculty’s patron saint, and the witness of Blessed Alojzije Stepinac.

“The law must provide protection precisely where people cannot secure it for themselves: against violence, arbitrariness, defamation and unjust conviction. Justice requires more than compassion. Every person possesses inalienable rights that must be recognised and effectively protected, regardless of their social position, power or influence,” the Archbishop stated.

Reflecting on the conviction of Blessed Alojzije Stepinac in 1946 and its annulment in 2016, he warned of the consequences of subordinating the judiciary to political power.

“The 1946 verdict remains a warning of what happens when political authorities subordinate the courts to their own objectives. When the outcome is predetermined and a person is deprived of a genuine opportunity to defend themselves, judicial proceedings become an instrument of persecution,” Kutleša emphasised.

He addressed a special message to law students, encouraging them to study diligently, develop sound judgement and cultivate a conscience that remains faithful to truth and justice.

“Behind every case file stands a human being; behind every delay there may be someone’s anxiety; behind every unjust decision remains a wound that affects families and generations,” the Archbishop stated.

During the formal academic ceremony, the first Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence was presented to second-year student Kaja Čuvalo for achieving the highest academic results in the first year of the integrated undergraduate and graduate law programme. In the 2025/2026 academic year, she achieved a weighted grade point average of 4.900.

A certificate of appreciation was presented to Professor Emerita Vesna Barić Punda in recognition of her support for the development of the law programme, the establishment of the Faculty of Law and the delivery of teaching, as well as her contribution to establishing institutional cooperation between the CUC Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Law at the University of Split. She was also thanked for donating books to the Faculty of Law and the University Library.

The central part of the Faculty of Law Day celebration was an academic panel entitled “80 years since the conviction and 10 years since the annulment of the conviction of Blessed Alojzije Stepinac – rectifying an injustice caused by the abuse of political power under the communist regime”.

The panel featured Prof. Davor Derenčinović, PhD, Judge of the European Court of Human Rights; Tanja Pavelin, PhD, Judge of the General Court of the European Union; Mykola Gnatovskyy, PhD, Judge of the European Court of Human Rights; and Višnja Starešina, journalist, author, screenwriter and documentary filmmaker. The discussion was moderated by Karla Ressler, Teaching Assistant at the CUC Faculty of Law.

The panel focused on the legal and historical aspects of the conviction of Blessed Alojzije Stepinac, its subsequent annulment, judicial independence, the abuse of political power and the protection of fundamental human rights. The programme also included an excerpt from the documentary Stepinac: The Cardinal and His Conscience.

The formal academic ceremony concluded with the academic anthem Gaudeamus igitur, performed by the Ivan Goran Kovačić Folklore Ensemble, followed by a reception and an opportunity for guests to gather and socialise.