New Old Kazakhstan
On 15th March 2026, Kazakhstan will hold a nationwide referendum in which voters will decide whether to adopt a new Constitution proposed by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. The proposed Constitution marks a significant departure from the current 1995 one: amendments affect 77 articles, or over 80% of the current Constitution. The official reason for the amendments is to move away from consolidated presidential governance; however, the proposed Constitution might have the opposite effect.
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Testing “Mutual Sincere Cooperation”
On 11 March, the European Parliament voted to accept a revised Framework Agreement governing relations between itself and the European Commission. The reform strengthens Parliament’s role in shaping the Commission’s work programme, monitoring international negotiations, and scrutinising emergency measures. Yet the Council has reacted sharply, objecting to Parliament’s claim to equal treatment with the member states. The episode reveals deeper tensions in the EU’s institutional balance.
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When the Protector Becomes the Prosecutor
On 26 February 2026, the Supreme Court of India, acting on its own motion (suo motu) and without any petitioner before it, issued a remarkable order. It banned a Class 8 social science textbook published by the National Council for Educational Research and Training, directed the physical seizure of all copies in circulation, ordered the removal of the book from every digital platform, threatened its authors with criminal contempt proceedings, and barred classroom instruction based on its contents — all in response to a chapter that described corruption in the judiciary and case backlogs as institutional challenges.
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An Abdication of Legal and Historical Responsibility
There can be little doubt that the US and Israeli attacks on Iran contravene the prohibition on the use of force while Iran’s retaliation goes beyond what would be permissible under the right to self-defence. While the German government has criticised Iran’s violent crackdown on the demonstrations and was quick to denounce its retaliatory attacks across the region, no such condemnation has been forthcoming with respect to the US and Israel. This approach to international law is both hypocritical and an abdication of historical responsibility. It is also strategically short-sighted and dangerous.
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After Khamenei
On 8 March 2026, Mojtaba Khamenei, Ali Khamenei’s second son, was announced as the third Supreme Leader, the Wali-ye Faqih. With this appointment, the regime signals its determination to preserve the facade of constitutional continuity surrounding Velayat-e Faqih. The succession of Mojtaba Khamenei brings into view the regime’s inability to apply its own legitimising principles to its rule, as well as the deep constitutional tensions on which this system rests. While alternatives such as a secular democratic order, proposed by prominent opposition figures, are gaining traction, the remnants of the Islamic Republic are confronted with the erosion of the system they upheld for decades.
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Should Guns Be Able to Say No?
What if firearms themselves could refuse illegal commands? Recent technological advances have brought new possibilities that might help reduce these attacks within reach. It is now possible for firearms to be programmed to prevent users from firing at blatantly illegal targets. Now that this is the case, should states adopt legislation that forces manufacturers to incorporate that technology in their future production?
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Private Power, Public Values
It is not every day that a major AI company invokes constitutional values against the US government. Anthropic – the US-American AI company behind Claude – declined the US military’s request for unrestricted access to its AI tools, citing worries about domestic mass surveillance and the use of its technology in fully autonomous weapons. Recognising digital corporations as potential drivers of constitutional rights runs counter to the most recent literature on digital regulation and digital sovereignty. But perceiving them as such remains crucial.
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Widerstand zwecklos
Der Tod eines Gerichtsvollziehers im Saarland hat eine politische Forderung nach schärferen Strafen für Widerstand gegen Staatsgewalt ausgelöst. Doch der Blick ins geltende Widerstandsstrafrecht zeigt: Von milder Behandlung kann kaum die Rede sein. Im Gegenteil, Privilegierungen sind längst geschwunden und Vollstreckungsbeamte genießen bereits weitreichende Schutzmechanismen. Der Ruf nach immer höheren Strafrahmen erweist sich damit weniger als notwendige Reform denn als symbolische Strafpolitik.
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Mehrheiten trotz Minderheitsregierung
Trotz ihres schlechten Rufs haben Minderheitsregierungen derzeit Konjunktur. Das stellt die Parteien vor die Herausforderung, Mehrheiten immer wieder neu finden zu müssen. Der Sächsische Landtag hat mit der Sächsischen Staatsregierung dafür jetzt ein neues Konsultationsverfahren beschlossen. Es verspricht ein „neues Kapitel der politischen Kultur“ und eine Versachlichung der Politik. Dieses Versprechen kann das Konsultationsverfahren zwar nicht vollends einlösen, regt aber zur Kompromissfindung in Zeiten instabiler Mehrheitsverhältnisse an.
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Wenn der Arbeitgeber Wahlkampf macht
Anfang März 2026 fanden im Tesla-Werk Grünheide zum dritten Mal in seiner Geschichte Betriebsratswahlen statt. Mit mehreren gewerkschaftskritischen Aussagen machte die Geschäftsleitung deutlich, dass sie den Einfluss gewerkschaftsnaher Positionen so gering wie möglich halten will. Die IG Metall wiederum möchte im Werk Fuß fassen und wirft der Geschäftsleitung vor, die Wahl beeinflusst und Union Busting betrieben zu haben. Der Fall macht deutlich: Es braucht ein durchsetzbares Neutralitätsgebot für Arbeitgeber:innen bei Betriebsratswahlen.
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CURRENT DEBATES
Reflexive Globalisation and the Law
In October 2025, a new Centre for Advanced Studies was established at the Humboldt University of Berlin’s Law Faculty. Named “Reflexive Globalisation and the Law: Colonial Legacies and their Implications in the 21st Century” (RefLex), the Centre explores the premise that the globalisation of law and legal discourse has entered a reflexive phase: one in which law and knowledge production about law are less and less one-directional exports from or within the Global North but rather dynamic, multidirectional exchanges that confront colonial legacies, epistemic hierarchies, and enduring asymmetries of power. This blog symposium, co-edited by Philipp Dann, Florian Jeßberger, and Kalika Mehta, aims to present and extend these interactions to a broader, accessible dialogue with a wider community beyond the university setting. Featuring contributions from a range of different disciplines and regions, the symposium serves as a public prelude to its official launch, which can be watched live here.
Read all articles >>Wem gehört die Wissenschaft?
Wem gehört die Wissenschaft – und wem sollte sie gehören? Obwohl Wissen als öffentliches Gut prinzipiell unbegrenzt teilbar ist, wird der Zugang zu wissenschaftlichen Publikationen und Infrastrukturen durch ökonomische und rechtliche Strukturen beschränkt. Zwischen kommerziellen Verlagsmodellen, staatlicher Finanzierung und Community-getragenen Open-Access-Initiativen stellen sich grundlegende Fragen nach Eigentum, Verantwortung und Unabhängigkeit wissenschaftlicher Arbeit. Das Blog-Symposium „Wem gehört die Wissenschaft?“ greift diese Frage auf und beleuchtet Facetten der Organisation von Wissenschaft als Gemeingut, der Eigentums- und Machtverhältnisse im Publikationssystem und der Bedingungen offener und freier Wissensproduktion.
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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
Jakob Gašperin Wischhoff, Till Stadtbäumer (eds.)
In Good Faith: Freedom of Religion under Article 10 of the EU Charter
Freedom of religion, its interaction with the prohibition of discrimination, and the self-determination of churches are embedded in a complex national and European constitutional framework and remain as pertinent and contested as ever. This edited volume examines the latest significant developments from an EU perspective, placing freedom of religion at the centre of analysis and critically assessing its operationalisation and interpretation in light of the EU Charter.
Discover the Open Access digital edition here.
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 Unwillingness to Call This Illegal Is a Terrible Mistake”
Five Questions to Oona A. Hathaway
Continue reading >>„Die Weigerung, dies als Völkerrechtsbruch zu benennen, ist ein schwerer Fehler“
Fünf Fragen an Oona A. Hathaway
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