Ordo Iuris

The Ordo Iuris Institute for Legal Culture launched in 2013, founded by Polish Catholic organization the Father Piotr Skarga Foundation, which in turn was founded in 2001 by the Father Piotr Skarga Association. The latter claims to have been inspired by the hardline Catholic organization/network Tradition, Family, Property (TFP). TFP was founded in Brazil in 1960 and has been subject to allegations being like a cult. OI is right-wing, anti-abortion in all cases, anti-LGBTQIA+, and is infiltrating the Polish state. OI pushes for restrictive anti-abortion laws and anti-LGBTQIA+ policy and frames its work as "pro-family." The framing deliberately excludes family structures that are not cisgender and heterosexual. OI is also gender critical, and relies on the right-wing conspiracy theory of "gender ideology" to battle abortion and LGBTQIA+ people and rights. OI has ties to the ruling right-wing nationalist Law and Justice Party in Poland (the English acronym is PiS) and has been influential in anti-rights legislation, including the recent restrictions on abortion and ending anti-discrimination activities in schools. OI is also heavily involved with a university that opened in early 2021 -- the Collegium Intermarium. The CI is designed to train students in right-wing leadership and principles. Through the CI, OI is developing agreements with like-minded institutions like Institut des sciences sociales, économiques et politiques (ISSEP), founded in Lyon, France.