Killing For Show
On September 2 and 15, President Trump ordered the United States Navy to destroy small speed boats in the Caribbean. In both cases, all on board died. International lawyers have uniformly criticized the killings as unlawful. The President and his closest advisers have repeated that they simply do not care whether the killings violated the law. This may well be President Trump's most dangerous assault on the rule of law to date. And, yet, government officials in states long committed to the rule of law at home and abroad have remained largely silent.
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Der EU Space Act
Der Weltraum ist seit dem „Outer Space Treaty“ von 1967 immer wieder Gegenstand internationaler Regulierung. Am 25. Juni 2025 hat die EU-Kommission ihren Vorschlag für den sog. „EU Space Act“ veröffentlicht. Dieser Beitrag stellt den Vorschlag vor und beleuchtet ein zentrales Problem des Rechtsakts: die Ausnahmeregelung für die militärische Nutzung von „Weltraumobjekten“ in der sog. National Security Clause.
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Null and Void
A judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) from September 4 confirmed that the Chamber of Extraordinary Control and Public Affairs of the Supreme Court in Poland is illegitimate. The ruling not only exposes the collapse of judicial legitimacy at the highest level, but also shows how chaos in the Polish judiciary disrupts the lives of ordinary citizens, with proceedings suspended because higher courts’ judgments are void. For Waldemar Żurek, the new Minister of Justice, it offers a powerful argument to accelerate efforts to restore the rule of law before the political window closes.
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Litigating Over Independent Media
Since the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) fully entered into force on August 8, the key question is how far it can go in securing independent media. Beyond transparency rules and safeguards for editorial independence, Article 3 may establish a justiciable right to independent media – enabling individuals to challenge violations of media pluralism before national courts.
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Bolsonaro’s Conviction
Last week, former president Jair Bolsonaro was sentenced by the Brazilian Supreme Court to 27 years in prison for orchestrating a conspiracy to stay in power after losing the 2022 election. Some high-ranking military officers involved in the plot also received lighter sentences. Brazil could serve as a lesson to the world about combating authoritarian populism, but the expectation that the decision will restrain the military should be treated with caution.
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Eingezäunte Freiheit
Die Bundesregierung hat einen Gesetzentwurf vorgelegt, mit dem die Reform des Gemeinsamen Europäischen Asylsystems (GEAS) umgesetzt werden soll. Unter anderem soll die zuständige Behörde in sämtlichen Aufnahmeeinrichtungen die Entscheidung treffen können, dass Geflüchtete diese für bis zu ein Jahr nicht mehr verlassen dürfen. Die Pläne wecken nicht nur Assoziationen an die amerikanische Migrationspolitik, sie sind auch verfassungsrechtlich nicht haltbar.
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The Fifth Republic Under Strain
France’s new prime minister, Sébastien Lecornu – the fifth since 2022 – faces a task many already call impossible. Appointed by President Emmanuel Macron on September 9, just one day after the Bayrou government fell on a confidence vote, Lecornu must assemble a working majority – or at least prevent a majority coalition against him – to pass the budget by December 31.
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The Double Effect of “Double Standards”
Both Erosion and Strengthening of International Law
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Doppelfolge der „Double Standards“
Erosion und Stärkung des Völkerrechts zugleich
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Der Ausschluss von AfD-Bürgermeisterkandidaten vor der Wahl
Im August dieses Jahres wurden in Rheinland-Pfalz und Nordrhein-Westfalen zwei AfD-Bürgermeisterkandidaten nicht zur Wahl zugelassen. Die Wahlausschüsse begründeten ihre Entscheidungen mit Zweifeln an der Verfassungstreue der jeweiligen Kandidaten. Beide Ausschlüsse wurden im Nachgang gerichtlich bestätigt. Die Gerichtsentscheidungen sind im Ergebnis zwar gut nachvollziehbar. Sie verdeutlichen jedoch, wie demokratisch sensibel das Thema ist.
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Zart im Nehmen: Das Strafrecht in Zeiten des autoritären Populismus
Strafrecht und Politik begegnen sich seit jeher in einem heiklen Spannungsfeld. Während autoritär-populistische Kräfte es als Werkzeug eines starken Staates inszenieren, ist es zugleich unverzichtbar für den Schutz der Demokratie. Doch wo es überzogen wird, droht es selbst zum Risiko für die Freiheiten zu werden, die es bewahren soll. Dieses Symposium geht der Frage nach, wie wehrhaft das Strafrecht ist und wo seine Grenzen liegen.
Read all articles >>Abusive Feminism
With the concept “Abusive Feminism”, Rosalind Dixon problematizes how anti-feminist, would-be authoritarians use feminist ideas and language to advance and legitimate their own sexist, authoritarian projects. Case studies from South Africa, Argentina, Poland, Italy, Brazil, and South Asia offer powerful examples of the phenomenon, deepen our understanding of its roots, and point to counterstrategies.
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Volume 7,Issue 2
July 2025
JUS COGENS
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Killing Hitler Word by Word: The Oath as Apocalyptic Lawmaking
GREGOR NOLL
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Adjudicating Climate Protest as a Tool of Modern Republicanism
DMITRII KUZNETSOV
OUR LATEST PUBLICATION
Angelika Nußberger & Paula Rhein-Fischer (eds.)
Owning the Past: The Omnipresence of Divergent Historical Narratives in Law and Politics
The past feels omnipresent in today’s world. Wars are waged and defended in the name of history, while domestic and international politics revolve around struggles over collective memory. This edited volume explores how memory laws and politics contribute to authoritarianism by restricting human rights and reinforcing other populist tools. Focusing on memory’s ties to illiberalism, foreign policy, and the digital age, the contributions seek to spark debate on the future viability of memory laws and politics.
PROJECTS
VB Security and Crime
In cooperation with:
VB Security and Crime is a cooperation of the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law (MPI-CSL) and the Verfassungsblog in the areas of public security law and criminal law. The MPI-CSL Institute is a member of the Max Planck Law network.
Das Justiz-Projekt
Weltweit gerät die unabhängige und unparteiische Justiz unter den Druck des autoritären Populismus.
Wie verwundbar ist die rechtsprechende Gewalt in Deutschland – im Bund und in den Ländern?
VB Security and Crime
In cooperation with:
VB Security and Crime is a cooperation of the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law (MPI-CSL) and the Verfassungsblog in the areas of public security law and criminal law. The MPI-CSL Institute is a member of the Max Planck Law network.
EDITORIAL
The Double Effect of “Double Standards”
Both Erosion and Strengthening of International Law
Continue reading >>Doppelfolge der „Double Standards“
Erosion und Stärkung des Völkerrechts zugleich
Continue reading >>