University of Lausanne

Posts by authors affiliated with University of Lausanne

14 June 2023
,

Function Follows Form

Die Idee, dass die Form eines Artefaktes nach dessen Funktion gestaltet werden müsse, ist seit dem Ende des 19. Jahrhunderts eine zentrale Design-Maxime: Form follows function. Wo die Formen sich aber verändern, zum Beispiel, weil sich ein Produkt neu in digitaler Form erstellen lässt, muss die Frage erlaubt sein, ob es nicht noch andere als seine bisherigen Funktionen erfüllen kann. Menschen sind aber besser darin, aus der Funktion Formen abzuleiten, als aus Formen Funktionen. Daher lohnt es sich, die Frage nach alternativen Funktionen ganz gezielt zu stellen. Wir wollen das nachfolgend für das Produkt der rechtswissenschaftlichen Kommentare tun.

Continue reading >>
0
06 February 2023

Still a right?

Although abortion in Tunisia has been legal for 50 years and offered for free in government facilities, the revolution of 2011 and the following democratization process have paradoxically put into question the access to this service. The Islamists’ victory and the conservative turn of local society in the 2000s have led to a step backwards in the domain of women’s rights including sexual and reproductive rights. Together with Turkey, Tunisia is the only Islamic-majority country that authorizes abortion for social reasons.

Continue reading >>
0
15 December 2022

To Speak, or not to Speak

Several national football federations and their teams had planned to wear a rainbow armband (also called the “One-Love” armband) when entering the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which symbolizes solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community. Promptly, this simple gesture in favor of respect of human rights and diversity was forbidden by FIFA. The days following the ban, players and teams expressed their unease about FIFA’s strict position and about the uncertainty of the potential sanctions. FIFA’s practice towards freedom of expression lacks consistency, which further highlights the protection gap that exists between the lex sportiva, the rules and regulations governing sports, and human rights law in respect of freedom of expression. How could the differences be reconciled?

Continue reading >>
25 November 2022

Migrant Workers and the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar

When we are enjoying the beautiful game these days, we should not forget that hundreds or even thousands of migrant workers, mostly from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines and Sri Lanka have allegedly lost their lives in Qatar when working on stadium and other infrastructure constructions in view of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. FIFA as the overarching, but private international football governing body in charge of the organization of the World Cup is not, as such, liable under the ECHR neither. It has, however, its headquarters in Switzerland. Is this enough to hold Switzerland, a party to the ECHR, liable for human rights violations in Strasbourg?

Continue reading >>
01 November 2021

Why are you on Facebook?

In a recent draft decision of the Irish Data Protection Commissioner to other European Data Protection Authorities, the Irish Commissioner addressed whether or not Facebook could rely on the contractual legal basis for certain purposes of its personal data processing, including for behavioral advertising. According to the Commissioner, “a reasonable user would be well-informed […] that [personalized advertising] is the very nature of the service being offered by Facebook and contained within the contract”. Based on this interpretation, it appears that Facebook’s users are on the social network not to connect with their friends and family but rather to receive personalized advertising.

Continue reading >>
0
Go to Top