RASK attorney Birgit Aasa, currently also a doctoral candidate at the European University Institute of Florence, Italy, writes a thorough and critical analysis of the legal-political war of words emerging out of the debate surrounding the migration pact. In her article, Birgit emhpasizes the responsibility and objectivity of research in providing a judgment in politically sensitive situations, which is important in order to ensure a solid decision-making process as well as maintaining the credibility of legal analysis.
"As an attorney, I worry whether all the people involved in the public debate can understand the role they play in society and the importance of trust and the associated responsibility. If one can no longer assume there is political impartiality, thoroughness and balance in what the researchers present, then in addition to the individuaal researcher, the credibility of science as a whole also suffers. Politicians and the media stop trusting researchers and have less reason to ask for their input in order to formulate policy," Birgit concludes.