(Re)conciliating with the Public Administration: Final Conference on Public Administration Conciliation Activities in Modena on 27th March
On Thursday, 27th March 2025, the conference “Alternative Dispute Resolution: (Re)conciliating with the Public Administration” will be held at the Aula Magna of the Department of Law at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. This marks the conclusion of the eponymous project, coordinated by Prof. Marina Caporale, a lecturer in Administrative Law and Administrative Justice, with support from Prof. Marina Evangelisti and Chiara Spaccapelo. The initiative is backed by Unimore as part of its public engagement activities for 2024-25 and has involved public bodies and institutions from the Emilia-Romagna region, including the Civic Defender of Emilia-Romagna, the Municipality of Modena – Department of Legality, and the Province of Modena, alongside meetings in local areas such as Modena, Formigine, and Carpi-Unione Terre d’Argine, aimed at engaging the local community.
The event on 27th March will be divided into three sessions, starting at 9:15 AM with opening remarks from Carmelo Elio Tavilla, Director of the Department of Law; Vittorio Ferraresi, Councillor for Participation, Transparency, and Legality at the Municipality of Modena; Fabio Braglia, President of the Province of Modena; Guido Giusti, Regional Civic Defender; Patrizia Roli, Provincial Civic Defender of Modena; and Roberto Mariani, President of the Modena Bar Association and the Modena Mediation Organisation.
The day’s discussions will focus on tools for resolving disputes “with” or “against” the Public Administration, or those provided by the PA itself. These include services offered by civic defenders and independent authorities, which are accessible, digital, and often free of charge, yet remain poorly understood and difficult for many users to navigate.
The aim is to raise awareness of these tools and promote a different, non-confrontational approach to resolving disputes, one that enhances the relationship between citizens and the Public Administration, and especially highlights the conciliation mechanisms available to citizens, associations, and businesses.
The first session, moderated by Marina Caporale, will explore the historical and theoretical relationship between public administration and conciliatory justice, with contributions from Professors Evangelisti and Spaccapelo on legal figures such as the Roman arbiter and civil arbitration as potential models for the PA. Professor Caporale will also reflect on “ administration through the lens of conciliatory claims.”
At 11:30 AM, the second session will focus on civic advocacy as a non-confrontational model for ensuring citizens' rights in relation to the Public Administration. This session, introduced by Donata Borgonovo Re, former Civic Defender of the Autonomous Province of Trento, will feature speakers such as Silvia Bartolucci (European Mediator), Chiara Giacomantonio (AgID - Digital Civic Defender), and Marino Fardelli (National Coordination of Civic Defenders).
In the afternoon, from 2:30 PM, the third session will focus on independent authorities involved in conciliation between service providers and citizens. Moderated by Jacopo Bercelli, Professor of Administrative Law at the University of Verona, representatives from the Transport Authority, ARERA, ATERSIR, AGCom, and CoReCom Emilia-Romagna will discuss tools and practices for effectively resolving disputes related to service failures in sectors such as transport, energy, telecommunications, water, and waste.
The event will conclude with the presentation of the draft digital guide “(Re)conciliating with the PA” , a project developed by students from the Administrative Justice course under Professor Caporale’s coordination, which will be made available through the online platforms of the partner organisations.
The conference is sponsored by the Modena Bar Association, which has awarded 3 CPD credits for the morning session and 3 for the afternoon session for those attending in person.
For info: riconciliarsiconlapa@unimore.it
Categorie: International - english, Notizie_eng
Articolo pubblicato da: Ufficio Stampa Unimore - ufficiostampa@unimore.it