Speech by Dr. Tamás Sulyok, President of Hungary, at the opening of the Fourth Hungarian Law Book Salon

"Only on the basis of pure concepts can human betterment develop."

Distinguished Rector! 
Dear Mr. President!
Ladies and Gentlemen!

I would like to welcome all of you with a thought from István Széchenyi on the occasion of the presentation of the Grand and Audience Prizes of the Fourth Hungarian Law Book Salon.

When we launched the Hungarian Law Book Salon three years ago, at the initiative of the Hungarian Lawyers' Association and the Constitutional Court, we did so with the hope that the legal community would regularly come together in good numbers and pay more attention to each other.

Our intention was to get to know and discuss with each other the current results of the legal profession and the theses of new publications. It is important that the legal community should also recognise the authors and publishers of the most outstanding new law books in the form of awards.

In the autumn of 1842, when Count István Széchenyi was given the task of welcoming the scientific community of the Academy, which had been created from his donation, he gave a speech lasting more than two hours. I had not planned to speak at such length. I would be happy to come to the Book Salon again next year. 

However, what the Greatest Hungarian highlighted at the head of his speech applies to us lawyers as well. "Only on the basis of clear concepts can human betterment develop". Széchenyi described how often people in our country do not understand or misunderstand each other, and how this often leads to conflicts. The endless war of words and the misunderstood monologues only hinder the prospects for a better future for our country.

However, this is what jurisprudence and a quality culture of legal debate are for. 
We use clear concepts and apply clear interpretations of the law to set the rules of our lives. Clear concepts demonstrate the predictability of the legal order and uphold the values of the rule of law. They make it clear that we, lawyers, serve the security of the rule of law, the implementation of the Fundamental Law and, through these, our country and the Hungarian people. Or, as Széchenyi called it in his speech, "the betterment of mankind".
Law is, in Ulpian's beautiful approach, "the art of the good and just." 

As lawyers, we know that the discovery of truth, the settlement of disputes between parties, the principles of the order of the community of the state and the practical implementation of such order are extremely exciting issues. At the same time, this service for the good of the country is a challenging responsibility and requires no small amount of expertise. And it is our duty to hone our knowledge, and one of the most obvious ways of doing so is through the books offered by the Hungarian Law Book Salon.

Dear Fellow Lawyers!

A few days ago, I, along with several others, I commemorated Endre Nizsalovszky, lawyer, university professor, former member of the Hungarian Lawyers' Association, in Gyula. The late President Ferenc Mádl, who was a good friend and acquaintance of his, described Nizsalovszky as follows: he "assumed only good things about everyone (...). Even on the ideological opponent (...), he cast the magic cloak of humanity (...)."

This humanity is, I believe, an important cornerstone of the legal profession, which not only characterises certain prominent figures in the legal community, but is also fundamental to the lawyer's mindset. In my view, the only way to truly defend and uphold human dignity and the rights of people is if we ourselves have respect for the dignity of people. As a head of state, I am particularly mindful of this attitude and wish to follow it.

Ladies and Gentlemen!

Once again, I would like to express my pleasure that the Hungarian Law Book Salon has become a strong tradition. I hope that everyone will discover thought-provoking books at today’s event that enrich their knowledge and enhance their skills.

My warmest congratulations to the Grand Prize and Audience Prize winners of the Book Salon and with them to the authors and publishers of all the law books published here today.

Thank you for refreshing and enriching the academic and intellectual resources of Hungarian lawyers with new volumes. 

Thank you for your efforts to achieve human betterment by applying clear concepts.

May the Hungarian Law Book Salon continue to be successful for years, decades to come!

(Budapest, 28 September 2024)