04 July 2025
Die Würde der Schwangeren ist unantastbar
Nachdem in der letzten Legislatur die Entkriminalisierung des Schwangerschaftsabbruchs gescheitert war, könnte die Debatte nun wieder Auftrieb bekommen: Vor wenigen Wochen hat der Deutsche Ärztetag eine Entkriminalisierung gefordert, und auch das britische Unterhaus stimmte endlich dafür. Der aktuelle Koalitionsvertrag sieht dazu zwar konkret nichts vor. Doch der deutsche Gesetzgeber ist verpflichtet, den Schwangerschaftsabbruch neu zu regeln, weil er die Würde von Schwangeren zu achten hat – und es sich dabei um eine absolute Achtungspflicht handelt. Continue reading >>
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The Limits of Limiting Democracy
The intellectual and institutional architectures built around democracy are under pressure – and evolving: Germany reformed its fiscal constitution in March, Europe’s Stability and Growth Pact is undergoing a stress test, and in the United States, the White House is questioning the independence of monetary policy. Historically, democracy has an ambivalent reputation: Plato described it as both the freest and the most unstable of governments. But how far and in what ways can democracy be limited before it loses its democratic nature? Continue reading >>
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Remonstration an der Grenze
Da Innenminister Dobrindt trotz der Entscheidung des VG Berlin weiter Zurückweisungen an den deutschen Binnengrenzen durchführen lässt, könnte nunmehr ein Institut des Dienstrechts relevant werden, das lange ein „Schattendasein“ fristete: die Remonstration. Dabei geht es hier insbesondere um die Frage, ob Bundespolizist:innen verpflichtet sind, hinsichtlich der Zurückweisungen zu remonstrieren (§ 63 Abs. 2 S. 1 BBG). Die Rechtsprechung von BVerfG und BGH spricht indes eher gegen diese Pflicht. Ein Recht zur Remonstration besteht aufgrund der Zweifel an der Rechtmäßigkeit der aktuellen Praxis indes bereits jetzt. Continue reading >>03 July 2025
The Antagonistic Unity of Copyright and Freedom of the Arts
On 17 June 2025, Advocate General Emiliou delivered his opinion in the second referral of the German Federal Court of Justice (BGH) to the CJEU in the case “Pelham” – also known as “Metall auf Metall” (Case C-590/23). He defines “pastiche” – currently the most controversial concept of European copyright law – and makes a fundamental statement on EU copyright law and its relationship to freedom of the arts as guaranteed by Art. 13 CFR.The InfoSoc Directive, which is at the heart of EU copyright law, is too restrictive with regard to the artistic use of copyright-protected works and therefore not compatible with the Charter’s freedom of the arts. Emiliou’s opinion is a breakthrough. It grounds copyright in freedom of the arts and paves the way for a new perspective on the relationship between copyright and artistic freedom. Continue reading >>
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Constitutional Awakening of Values
On 5 June 2025, AG Ćapeta delivered her opinion in case C-769/22, raising a pivotal question for the EU’s constitutional future: Can Article 2 TEU serve as a standalone provision in infringement proceedings? While the issue has sparked debate – including on this blog – this post defends the Opinion as a constitutionally coherent and necessary step to safeguard the Union’s foundational values. It argues that AG Ćapeta’s approach is firmly rooted in existing case law and offers a compelling legal framework to address democratic backsliding. The post focuses on her use of the “good society” concept and the proposed “negation of values” test, examining their normative grounding and practical significance within EU law. Continue reading >>
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The Constitution’s Midnight
Resolving some legal issues requires drawing a line through a gray area. Others can be resolved without having to draw a line, in recognition of an old insight: that there is a dawn and a dusk does not mean there is no noon or no midnight. Whether the President had power under the Constitution to attack Iran without congressional approval is an issue that falls in the latter category, within the Constitution’s midnight: wherever a line might be drawn in harder cases, this is not one of them. Continue reading >>
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02 July 2025
Defining Climate Justice in the African Human Rights System
On 2 May 2025, the Pan African Lawyers Union – in collaboration with the African Climate Platform, the Environmental Lawyers Collective for Africa, Natural Justice, and resilient40 – submitted a request to the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights for an advisory opinion on States’ obligations in relation to climate change. As the climate crisis intensifies across the continent, exacerbating inequality, displacing communities, and threatening ecological systems, the need for principled, coherent, and rights-based legal guidance has never been greater. In addressing this request, the Court has the chance not only to align with emerging global jurisprudence but to contribute a distinctly African vision of climate justice. Continue reading >>
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Externalising Migration Control
On 20th of May 2025 the European Court of Human Rights declared the case of S.S. and others v Italy inadmissible under Art.1 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The decision marks a missed opportunity. Instead of addressing the question of functional jurisdiction in the context of externalised migration control, the Court found that Italy does not enjoy extraterritorial jurisdiction over a group of irregular migrants whose ship was wrecked on the high seas near the Libyan coast. The ruling is another illustration of how externalised border control and “pull-back” policies are becoming normalised in Europe. Continue reading >>
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Die weiten Flügel der Demokratie
Die Welt des Non-Profit-Sektors wurde vor ein paar Tagen durch ein mittleres Erdbeben erschüttert. Medienwirksam kündigte die Petitionsplattform innn.it (ehemals Change.org) an, auf ihre Gemeinnützigkeit zu verzichten, und zwar in Reaktion auf ein Urteil des Bundesfinanzhofs. Mit den BFH-Vorgaben zur Neutralität könne man eine „Petitionsplattform mit Haltung“ nicht gemeinnützig betreiben. Nun liegen die Urteilsgründe vor: Ist der BFH in seinen Anforderungen an die Gemeinnützigkeit zu weit gegangen? Oder war es die Petitionsplattform innn.it, die eine Grenze überschritten hat? Continue reading >>Academic Freedom Mugged
The forced resignation of James Ryan from the presidency of the University of Virginia by pressure from a politically motivated U.S. Department of Justice, abetted by his opponents within the school, deals a dangerous blow to institutional academic freedom both at UVA and at every public university. Of course, universities must abide by federal civil rights laws as interpreted by courts. But Ryan’s antagonists pursue a radical reorientation of higher education away from most forms of increasing opportunities for disadvantaged students. Continue reading >>
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30 June 2025
In the End… Who Cares?
On 3 June 2025, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Justice delivered its judgment on the Kinsa-Case. At the core of the matter were the criminal charges of a third-country national for the facilitation of unauthorized entry of two minors in the territory of an EU Member State. With this ruling, the Court takes an important step towards the de-criminalization of care for migrant children who are seeking international protection. However, the Grand Chamber’s reasoning offers limited considerations on the relevant links between “actual care”, humanitarian assistance, and migrant children’s rights. This shortcoming may ultimately curb protection standards of migrant children in future cases Continue reading >>
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28 June 2025
U.S. Attacks on Iran
Israel and the United States attacked Iran in mid-June 2025 with the aim of ending its nuclear program. Iran counter-attacked. While some world leaders justified what Israel and the U.S. were doing, they did so in line with political deterrence theory, not the plain terms of the United Nations Charter. The lawful use of force in self-defense depends on an armed attack occurring. Concerns over nuclear weapons are to be resolved through treaties and negotiations. Honoring deterrence theory over the law is undermining the surest path to peace. Continue reading >>
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27 June 2025
Private Wealth, Public Doubt
Public officials having to disclose their private wealth is a powerful anti-corruption tool that led to the imprisonment or dismissal of hundreds of corrupt public officials across Europe. In Romania, this included ministers and a Parliamentary President. Despite this success, the Romanian Constitutional Court now substantially undermined the effectiveness of asset declarations: it declared the online publication of declarations unconstitutional and invalidated the provision on declaring wealth of adult family members of public officials. There are two reasons for other governance-reforming countries not to follow this case law. Continue reading >>
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Managing Migration the Italian Way II
Eight months after first exploring the legal contours of the “innovative” Italy-Albania Protocol and its temporary suspension following the Court of Rome’s refusal to validate the detention of the first group of asylum applicants transferred to Albania, this post turns to a new and potentially game-changing development: a preliminary reference to the European Court of Justice (ECJ), submitted by the Italian Court of Cassation on 20 June 2025. The referral raises doubts about the compatibility of the scheme with both the Return Directive (RD) and the Asylum Procedures Directive (APD). This move adds fresh legal uncertainty to a deal already under intense scrutiny and could significantly impact its implementation. Continue reading >>
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The European Union’s Fantastical Constitution
Recently, von Bogdandy and Spieker decided to boldly go where not even they had dared to go before. To overcome the possible Hungarian veto on prolonging EU sanctions against Russia, they propose that the explicit requirement in Article 31(1) TEU for such decisions to be taken by the Council acting unanimously should be overcome on the basis of Article 2 TEU. In their view, a Hungarian veto against further sanctions would violate the value of solidarity and the Hungarian vote should therefore not count. We argue that this would launch us into a whole new, and in our view, dangerous galaxy. Continue reading >>26 June 2025
Rethinking Transitional Justice in Sudan
The war that has plagued Sudan since 15 April 2023 is accompanied by massive violations and abuses of international humanitarian law and international human rights law. Impunity with the persistence, and indeed rise, of alleged perpetrators is a key dimension of the current war. This is a fundamental challenge to its social fabric, state integrity and regional stability. As such, Sudan’s most recent transition process underlines how transitional justice can fail – and what future efforts must learn. Continue reading >>
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The Return of Golden Shares and Global Politics
The Trump Administration just announced that the Japanese steel giant Nippon Steel has granted it a powerful “golden share” in U.S. Steel as a condition for its acquisition of this major US-American steel manufacturer. While the EU has largely constrained the use of such instruments under internal market law, the US now appears willing to deploy them as symbols of industrial revival and national strength. In its response to the increasing global (geo)economic competition, the EU and its member states should resist this trend and instead refine targeted FDI screening mechanisms to reconcile national security with internal market integrity. Continue reading >>
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The Legacy of Kinsa
The CJEU’s judgment in Kinsa marks a rare rights-based correction to the EU’s punitive approach to migration. Prompted by a case from Italy, the Court confronts the criminalisation of those who cross borders caring for children. Rather than deferring to enforcement rationales, it centres fundamental rights and draws clear constitutional limits. The ruling opens a path to challenge overbroad criminalisation not just retrospectively, but at the level of legal design. In the shadow of ongoing EU reform efforts, Kinsa signals a shift: from border control to proportionality scrutiny. Continue reading >>
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25 June 2025
Nur gelbes Licht?
Das Bundesverwaltungsgericht hat das Verbot von „Compact“ nun auch im Hauptsacheverfahren aufgehoben. Auch wenn sich die Compact GmbH mit dem „Remigrationskonzept“ identifiziere, das gegen die Menschenwürde und das Demokratieprinzip verstoße, sei die Vereinigung nicht ausreichend von verfassungswidrigen Äußerungen und Aktivitäten geprägt. Für den zukünftigen Umgang mit Medienverboten ist vor allem interessant: Das Gericht bleibt zwar im Grundsatz bei seiner Position, dass das Vereinsrecht auch auf faktische Medienverbote anwendbar ist. Doch es deutet eine bedeutsame Grenze dieses Grundsatzes an. Continue reading >>Energy Sanctions Reloaded
The European Commission proposed a ban on Russian gas imports based on Article 207 TFEU – a legal basis related to the EU’s Common Commercial Policy, rather than the Common Foreign and Security Policy. Although the policy domains of trade and sanctions often overlap in practice, the new proposal seems to overlook that the EU maintains a distinct legal framework for imposing sanctions. If the ban is ultimately enacted under Article 207 TFEU, there is a risk that one or more Member States opposing these new sanctions against Russia will challenge it on the grounds that this EU Regulation is based on the wrong legal basis. Continue reading >>
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Piraterie in der Ostsee
Immer häufiger kommt es auf der Ostsee zu Sabotageakten und elektromagnetischen Signalstörungen, für die Schiffe der russischen Schattenflotte verantwortlich gemacht werden. Da sich diese Aktionen oft in internationalen Gewässern abspielen, herrscht unter manchen Rechtswissenschaftlern und Praktikern Skepsis, ob Marine und Küstenwache eingreifen können. Eine „schlafende“, aber immer noch gültige Norm des Anti-Piraterierechts bietet für die Ostsee-Anrainerstaaten allerdings sehr weitreichende Möglichkeiten, genau das zu tun. Continue reading >>24 June 2025
The Future of International Criminal Law is Domestic
Domestic courts are increasingly stepping in where international institutions falter, becoming key enforcers of international criminal law. The conviction of Syrian doctor Alaa M. in Germany exemplifies the potential of universal jurisdiction to deliver justice beyond borders. While the ICC remains blocked in the Syria situation, national trials offer credible, survivor-driven accountability. Rather than being a fallback, domestic prosecutions are emerging as a central pillar of international criminal justice. Continue reading >>From Erosion to Evisceration
Last week, the Supreme Court decided the case United States v. Skrmetti. As Ryan Thoreson has argued on this blog, the Court’s opinion rolls back existing understandings of sex discrimination in ways that will likely play out in future cases. Building on that insight, I examine how the Court narrows what counts as sex discrimination and strips the concept of stereotypes of its constitutional force. The most troubling aspects of the decision, however, appear in concurrences written by the ultraconservative members of the Court, which confine the reach of equal protection to formal legal classifications alone. Continue reading >>
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Reform ohne Wirkung
Im vergangenen Monat hat die Kommission einen Reformvorschlag zur DSGVO vorgelegt. Konkret soll Art. 30 DSGVO angepasst werden, der Datenverarbeiter verpflichtet ein sog. „Verarbeitungsverzeichnis“ zu führen. Bisher galt für Unternehmen mit weniger als 250 Beschäftigten eine Ausnahme. Künftig soll diese Grenze auf 750 Mitarbeiter angehobenen werden. Doch der Vorschlag polarisiert. Continue reading >>
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23 June 2025
The Erosion of Equal Protection
In United States v. Skrmetti, the U.S. Supreme Court voted 6-3 along ideological lines to uphold a Tennessee law banning gender-affirming care for minors, reaching that conclusion by construing equal protection jurisprudence in regressive ways. The majority reasoned that the law not only did not discriminate on the basis of sex, but did not discriminate on the basis of transgender status either. This post explains how the Skrmetti decision threatens to narrow the scope of constitutional equality protections in the United States, why it is dangerous for the equality claims of women and lesbian, gay, and bisexual people, and why it is likely to be so damaging for transgender people targeted by state and federal lawmakers in recent years. Continue reading >>
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Haunted by Text
Slovak PM Fico renewed his attempts to amend Slovakia’s Constitution. The most controversial provisions are a “national identity safeguard” limiting the effect of international and supranational law, and a definition of sex as strictly binary. After securing backing from some opposition members, his cabinet has submitted the amendment to parliament for debate and a vote. While public mobilisation against the proposed amendment proposal is important, legal scholars and NGOs should avoid using language that might reinforce the perception that the formally powerful Constitutional Court lacks the authority to strike down or reinterpret such changes in line with constitutional values. Continue reading >>
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20 June 2025
Neither Soil, Nor Blood, Nor Money
Russian oligarchs in Malta, descendants of Italians in South America, and Mexicans crossing into the US make unlikely characters for a common story. Yet over the first half of 2025, the ability of each of these groups to acquire or transmit citizenship status has been under scrutiny, signalling a shared preoccupation with ensuring that citizenship reflects “authentic” bonds and is not acquired instrumentally. In the struggle to define these “authentic” bonds each intervention strikes at the heart of some well-known citizenship tenet – the link to soil, blood, or money – without offering a clear alternative. The resulting void calls for a reflection on the principles that ought to inform rules on citizenship attribution. Continue reading >>Democracy Washing
The Israeli Supreme Court has recently adopted a highly activist approach in rulings that claim to strengthen the structural foundations of democracy, while neglecting its role in protecting the basic human rights of Palestinians. The stark contrast between the Court’s handling of cases involving Palestinians detained incommunicado and its swift intervention in the dismissal of the Shin Bet Director reflects a deeper pattern in the Court’s recent jurisprudence, one that can be described as “democracy washing”. Continue reading >>
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Rethinking Article 2 TEU
The recent Opinion of Advocate General (AG) Ćapeta in Case C 769/22 European Commission v Hungary marks a key moment in the evolving case law on Article 2 TEU. The case concerns Hungary’s controversial 2021 legislation restricting access to content portraying or promoting LGBTI identities. This analysis traces how recent ECJ rulings have prepared the ground for this development and examines the Opinion’s implications for the future enforcement of the EU’s constitutional identity. Continue reading >>
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19 June 2025
Forced Sterilizations on Trial
On May 22, 2025, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights held a hearing in Ramos Durand et al. v. Peru. This is only the second forced sterilization case before the Court (after I.V. v. Bolivia) and the first addressing a widespread, state-led policy of coercion like Peru’s. For the first time, the IACHR may explicitly characterize forced sterilizations as reproductive violence and thus as a form of gender-based violence, contributing to a broader and more inclusive understanding of reproductive rights violations within the regional human rights framework. Continue reading >>
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In dubio pro Richterernennung
Mit ihrer Sperrminorität blockiert die Thüringer AfD-Fraktion die Neubesetzung des Richterwahlausschusses. Aber existiert ihr Druckmittel überhaupt? Muss der Richterwahlausschuss tatsächlich erst neu besetzt oder eine Übergangsregelung geschaffen werden, bevor neue Richter:innen ernannt werden können? Die Vorschriften des DRiG eröffnen einen Ausweg. Continue reading >>When Failure Succeeds and Success Fails
Despite its modest uptake since its inception in 2012, the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) has become the subject of several cases before the Court of Justice of the EU. The ECI is the world's first and only instrument of direct transnational democracy, allowing a group of at least seven European citizens from seven different EU member states to request that the Union take new action. The growing legal challenges around successful but ineffective ECIs reflect a fundamental mismatch between constitutional recognition of participatory democracy and institutional realities. Continue reading >>
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18 June 2025
Pardons, Criminal Theory, and Political Sociology
Donald Trump’s use of the presidential pardon has transformed a constitutional power into a tool of personal loyalty and partisan retribution. Rather than correcting injustice, his pardons reward allies, shield loyalists, and punish critics. This shift reflects not only a philosophical challenge to the logic of criminal law, but also a deeper sociopolitical trend: the erosion of accountability through transactional governance. As legal boundaries blur and institutional checks falter, the rule of law itself is drawn into the orbit of authoritarian impulse. Continue reading >>
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A Constitutional Settlement Is Poland’s Only Hope
In Poland, the narrow defeat of liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski by the ultra-conservative Karol Nawrocki in the June 1st presidential election marked a turning point. The possibility of restoring the pre-2015 constitutional order has effectively vanished. But this does not mean Polish democracy is doomed. Poland’s European partners must recognize the dramatic shift Polish voters delivered. Rather than fixating on the formal legality—or illegality—of the dizzying array of judicial reforms and counter-reforms enacted since 2015, the time has come to encourage all sides to pursue a national constitutional settlement. This new framework must address not only judicial independence but also the deeper social and political polarization now defining Polish life. Continue reading >>Standing in the Face of Illiberal Elections
Venezuela held local and parliamentary elections on May 25th which Maduro’s allies won with an overwhelming majority. Even though Maduro had severely tilted the playing field in his favor, the regime did not have to alter the results from what was evident in the exit polls. This was partly because an important part of the opposition called for a boycott of the elections. We argue that for a beleaguered opposition, the question whether to boycott an election should reflect both pragmatic and strategic considerations of the prospects for democratic resistance. Continue reading >>
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Legalising Authoritarianism through Pakistan’s Supreme Court
On 7 May 2025, Pakistan’s Supreme Court overturned its own previous judgment from October 2023 that had declared military trials of civilians unconstitutional. The newly constituted Constitutional Bench reinstated clauses of the Pakistan Army Act that allow for the prosecution of civilians in military courts. The ruling was justified on national security grounds, citing the need to prosecute attacks by civilians on military installations, a rationale that conflates dissent with terrorism and bypasses the safeguards of civilian legal processes. This decision not only reverses prior precedent but also marks a troubling endorsement of military jurisdiction over civilian matters, raising fundamental concerns about the erosion of judicial independence and the rule of law. Continue reading >>
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17 June 2025
Artificial Constitutionalism?
Large language models (LLMs) are rapidly becoming embedded in everyday life, serving functions that range from professional assistance to entertainment and even emotional support. As their popularity and adoption grow, so do the legal questions surrounding their use – especially when interactions with individuals result in harm. A crucial threshold issue in establishing the legal framework applicable to LLMs, including the responsibilities of their developers, is whether their outputs – often resembling human expression – can receive constitutional protection as “speech” The question is also key to determining the applicable legal regime, the liability of AI developers for such content, and its potential consequences for individuals. Continue reading >>A Door Opened, But Not Fully
On 12 June 2025, the European Court of Human Rights issued a judgment in T.H. v. the Czech Republic – the first case brought by a non-binary person. The Court found a violation of Article 8 of the Convention for requiring sterilisation as a precondition for legal gender recognition. Yet, the misgendering of the applicant, the Court’s silence on Articles 3 and 14, and the absence of compensation all temper the applicant’s win. Continue reading >>
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Beyond Legal Restoration
A recently published proposal by former Constitutional Court judge Béla Pokol suggests introducing a new emergency regime designed to defend Hungary’s illiberal system against potential re-democratization efforts by a future government. Together with international criticism of Poland’s judicial reform in its process of democratic renewal, this provokes a profound reckoning: traditional legal formalism may no longer serve the needs of constitutional recovery. It is time for a post-formalist approach to democratic reconstruction. Continue reading >>
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16 June 2025
Gerichte als Spielball von Symbolpolitik
Seit Tagen polarisiert die Entscheidung des VG Berlin zur Zurückweisung dreier somalischer Asylsuchender an der deutschen Grenze durch die Bundespolizei. Bundesinnenminister Alexander Dobrindt erklärte unmittelbar nach Verkündung der Entscheidung, dass sie ihn nicht daran hindere, an der eingeführten Praxis festzuhalten. Auch wenn sie sich von exekutivem Ungehorsam unterscheidet, ist die Reduzierung der Entscheidung auf ihre Einzelfallwirkung ein Falltypus der Missachtung von Gerichtsentscheidungen. Continue reading >>Whose Values?
Value-based reasoning features prominently in CJEU case law, most recently in AG Ćapeta’s opinion in Commission v. Hungary. However, what is treated as absolute within the Union turns flexible and conditional in cases concerning asylum, integration, as well as anti-discrimination. A closer look at the “feminist” cases (WS, K and L, and AH and FN) reveals how “Western values”-centred reasoning is deployed at the Member State level and re-elaborated by the CJEU as the fundamental value of gender equality – opening the door to ideological reinterpretations. Continue reading >>
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Delegitimierung als Strategie
Nach den Eilentscheidungen des Berliner Verwaltungsgerichts, das die Zurückweisung von drei Asylsuchenden an der deutsch-polnischen Grenze für rechtswidrig erklärte, wurden die drei beteiligten Richterinnen und Richter Ziel heftiger Diffamierungen und Bedrohungen im Netz. Dies mag zunächst nur wie polemische Kritik erscheinen, die – wie alle populistische Rhetorik – auf „das Volk“ rekurriert, das einer vermeintlich korrupten Elite gegenübersteht. Bei genauerer Betrachtung zeigt sich jedoch, dass Angriffe dieser Art Teil systematischer Bestrebungen sind, die Legitimität der unabhängigen Justiz zu untergraben. Continue reading >>15 June 2025
Mit zweierlei Maß
Unmittelbar nach Beginn der israelischen Militärschläge äußerte sich das Auswärtige Amt zu den Angriffen und deutete unter Bezugnahme auf Verletzungen des Atomwaffensperrvertrags sowie die mit dem iranischen Nuklearprogramm einhergehende Bedrohung an, dass die militärischen Maßnahmen Israels vom Recht auf Selbstverteidigung gedeckt sein könnten. Diese Position ist nicht nur völkerrechtlich unhaltbar, sondern trägt auch zu einer gefährlichen Relativierung des völkerrechtlichen Gewaltverbots bei. Continue reading >>“Almost Genocide”
Genocidal intent does not necessarily pop, prefabricated, out of the perpetrator’s state’s head. It emerges – gradually, often unevenly – as a product of action, omission, emotion, and political opportunity. A war that once had legal justification as defence can thus harden into something else: the destruction of a group as such. This is as true in the specific conditions of Gaza, as it is as a matter of principle. Continue reading >>
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14 June 2025
Kein Geld für Verfassungsfeinde beim Parlament?
Rheinland-Pfalz plant, verfassungsfeindliche Mitarbeiter von Landtagsabgeordneten und Landtagsfraktionen nicht mehr mit staatlichen Geldern zu finanzieren. Dieser Vorstoß könnte in Deutschland Schule machen. Er fällt in eine Reihe weiterer Maßnahmen zum Verfassungsschutz unterhalb der Schwelle des Parteienverbots und ist zwar grundsätzlich begrüßenswert, aber mit Blick auf das freie Mandat und das Parteienprivileg nicht ganz unproblematisch. Continue reading >>
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Die gerichtliche (Un)antastbarkeit des Politischen
Laut Bundesverwaltungsgericht sind Verwaltungsgerichte nicht zuständig, über die Rechtmäßigkeit von schlichten Parlamentsbeschlüssen zu entscheiden. Das Verfahren drehte sich um den sog. BDS-Beschluss des Bundestags. Damit sind aber nicht sämtliche Fragen geklärt, die sich im Zusammenhang mit dem Rechtsschutz gegen Parlamentsbeschlüsse stellen. Um den Verfassungsrechtsweg zu beschreiten, sind in prozessualer Hinsicht hohe Hürden zu beachten; die dadurch entstehenden Rechtsschutzlücken spiegeln sich indes in den Wertungen des Grundgesetzes wider. Continue reading >>
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13 June 2025
Troops in L.A.
This past weekend, President Donald Trump issued a presidential memorandum that federalized National Guard troops and deployed those troops alongside active-duty marines in response to protests against his aggressive immigration enforcement operations in Los Angeles. While framed as a response to violence, the order also addresses peaceful protest. The decision to send military forces against civilians engaged in protected First Amendment activity marks a dangerous escalation, raising serious legal and constitutional concerns. Continue reading >>
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