03 December 2018
Why the EU Commission and the Polish Supreme Court Should not Withdraw their Cases from Luxembourg
The forced retirement of Polish Supreme Court judges has been reversed by the Polish legislator. Should the EU Commission and the Court of Justice now end their infringement procedure against Poland, too? There are several reasons why they should not. Continue reading >>
0 
Eine direkte Demokratie wird in der globalisierten Rechtsordnung erwachsen: Die Schweiz nach der Selbstbestimmungsinitiative
Die Schweiz hat am 25. November mit der sog. Selbstbestimmungsinitiative ein gefährliches Anliegen und ein problematisches politisches Geschäftsmodell beerdigt. Damit ihre direkte Demokratie reif für eine globalisierte Welt wird, muss sie nun eine widerlegbare Vermutung für die Völkerrechtsfreundlichkeit von Volksinitiativen formulieren. Continue reading >>30 November 2018
The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration – Hope for our Constitutive Commitments?
Next month, on 10 and 11 December 2018, the Intergovernmental Conference to Adopt the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration will be held in Marrakech, Morocco. The draft for the compact has been highly contested and many states have already announced they would not sign it. However, the compact has something to say about fundamental commitments of our societies, especially about human dignity. Continue reading >>Will the ECtHR Shake up the European Asylum System?
Are European embassies abroad obliged to issue visa to particularly vulnerable asylum seekers under European human rights? This question is at the core of the case of Nahhas and Hadri v. Belgium currently pending before the Grand Chamber of the Strasbourg Court. Too accustomed have we often become to the limits of state obligations to note how they can make the promise of universal rights fade into hypocrisy. It is crucial that in light of concrete cases the drawing of boundaries is reconsidered – to ask what the law requires, and to render visible the responsibility we have to mitigate shortcomings of the law. Continue reading >>29 November 2018
Iceland’s Ongoing Constitutional Fight
Six years ago, the reform of the Icelandic constitution drafted by a directly elected Constitutional Council and approved in a national referendum was shelved by Parliament. But the problems with democracy in Iceland which prompted the reform back in the day still exist: a lack of electoral equality, of fair access to natural resources, and of transparency. Continue reading >>Zwischen Unbehagen und Ignoranz. Die Anhörung im Gesetzgebungsverfahren zur “Dritten Option”
Seit dem Beschluss des Bundesverfassungsgerichts vom Oktober letzten Jahres wird um eine verfassungskonforme (Nicht-)Erfassung des Personenstandes gerungen, zuletzt in einer kontroversen Anhörung des Innenausschusses am Montag dieser Woche. Dreh- und Angelpunkt war hierbei die Frage, ob die Abgeordneten bereit sein würden, das tradierte Geschlechterbild der bisherigen Regelung aufzugeben – oder ob es in einer neuen Regelung versteckt weiterlebt. Continue reading >>28 November 2018
Voller Rechtsschutz! Abschiebungen sind auch nach verweigertem Eilrechtsschutz europarechtswidrig
Der asylrechtliche Eilrechtsschutz gem. § 36 AsylG ist europarechtlich nicht ausreichend, um die Vollziehbarkeit der Abschiebung zu begründen. Vielmehr ist es erforderlich, dass der asylsuchenden Person in allen asylrechtlichen Gerichtsverfahren ein volles Klageverfahren zur Verfügung steht. Eine vorherige Abschiebung ist europarechtswidrig. Continue reading >>Episode 5 of the Celmer Saga – The Irish High Court Holds Back
On 19 November 2018, Donnelly J gave her fifth judgment in the Celmer saga concluding that the real risk of a flagrant denial of justice has not been established by Mr Celmer and ordered that he be surrendered on foot of the European Arrest Warrants issued against him. Given that Donnelly J had initially found that there were ‘breaches of the common value of the rule of law’, this came as some surprise. Continue reading >>
0
27 November 2018
VB vom Blatt: Drei Überlegungen zum neuen Sitzungsturnus der Deutschen Islamkonferenz
Der Islam gehört zu Deutschland. Tut er das? Vor zwölf Jahren hat das Bundesinnenministerium die Deutsche Islamkonferenz ins Leben gerufen, um das Verhältnis von Staat und muslimischer Religion zu klären. Kritik, vor allem an der mangelnden Repräsentativität der vertretenen Islamfunktionäre, hat das Projekt von Beginn an begleitet. Jetzt beginnt die vierte Phase der Deutschen Islamkonferenz. Continue reading >>
0
Affirmative Action in Malaysia: Constitutional Conflict with the ICERD?
Four days ago, Malaysia finally decided not to ratify the United Nations International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. This was preceded by massive protests against ratification. Why, one might ask? Is it really an unreasonable thing to hope for racial equality? An answer could lie in what Thomas Sowell once stated: “When people get used to preferential treatment, equal treatment seems like discrimination.” Continue reading >>26 November 2018
Vertragsverletzungsverfahren als scharfes Schwert: Die erste Verurteilung eines Mitgliedstaats wegen justiziellen Unrechts
Justizielles Unrecht, d.h. die Verkennung von Unionsrecht durch mitgliedstaatliche Gerichte, war bislang noch nie Gegenstand eines Vertragsverletzungsverfahrens vor dem EuGH. Mit seinem Urteil in Sachen Accor II vom 04.10.2018 hat der EuGH nun erstmals einen Mitgliedstaat wegen justiziellen Unrechts verurteilt: Der französische Conseil d’État hatte ein vorheriges Urteil des EuGH nicht umgesetzt und gegen die Vorlagepflicht verstoßen. Mit dem Urteil platziert der Gerichtshof die Kommission wirkungsvoll als neuen Akteur, läuft aber auch Gefahr, den dialogue des juges zu erschweren. Continue reading >>
0
24 November 2018
All Bark and no Bite? A Domestic Perspective on a Possible Russian Withdrawal from the Council of Europe
The prospect of Russian withdrawal from the Council of Europe has been actively discussed during the past two months, including two excellent contributions on this blog. However, as often in cases of state backlash/pushback against international courts, the focus has mostly been on the external dimensions. States, though, are rarely ‘black boxes’, where different political actors have a uniform approach. Russia, despite its highly centralized appearance, is no exception. This post outlines the domestic state of play and contrasts the positions of interested parties. Continue reading >>23 November 2018
Wenn die Justiz auch einfach mal keine Ahnung hat
Stellen Sie sich vor, Sie gehen vor Gericht, und die Richterin sagt: Ja, ehrlich gesagt… weiß auch nicht. Bin ich überfragt. Tut mir leid, aber ich habe leider überhaupt keine Ahnung. Das wäre ein Fall, für den die Rechtsschutzgarantie in Artikel 19 IV Grundgesetz wie gemacht zu sein scheint, oder nicht? Ein Gericht darf sich nicht achselzuckend abwenden, wenn jemand kommt und seine Rechte einklagt. Ein Gericht hat Ahnung zu haben. Anders aber in einem aktuellen Senatsbeschluss das Bundesverfassungsgericht. Continue reading >>22 November 2018
Institutsgarantie des Asyls auf einem Bierdeckel?
Alle Jahre wieder flammt die Diskussion auf, ob das Grundrecht auf Asyl (Art. 16a Abs. 1 GG) von einem subjektiven Recht in eine objektive Gewährleistung umgestaltet werden soll. Zuletzt hat Friedrich Merz im Zuge seiner Bewerbungskampagne auf den CDU-Vorsitz eine Entsubjektivierung des Asylgrundrechts zur Diskussion gestellt. Der Vorschlag stellt nicht nur eine lange Traditionslinie der rechtsstaatlichen Subjektivierung im Migrationsrecht in Frage, sondern geht auch an dem bestehenden Asyl- und Flüchtlingsrecht sowie seinen realen Herausforderungen offenkundig vorbei. Continue reading >>Europe’s Rule of Law Dialogues: Process With No End in Sight
The cause for concern is not that violators of the rule of law are strategic political actors or that they are disingenuous. Rather, the real problem is the unspoken premise on the basis of which defenders of the rule of law are more and more inclined to accept these developments as the very features of the EU’s rule of law safeguards. This acceptance is based on the flawed premise that so long as a procedure is in place one cannot really do more to defend the rule of law. Continue reading >>
0
Opportunism on the Bench – The Maldivian Supreme Court’s Decision Upholding the 2018 Election Result
In October, the Maldives Supreme Court delivered its judgment upholding the Presidential Election of 2018. The President had lost that election to the opposition parties, claiming that they had committed electoral fraud. What may seem like a fairly ordinary occurrence is in fact a story of longstanding battles for political power, bizarre allegations and flawed legal reasoning of Maldives’ Highest Court. Continue reading >>16 November 2018
Sweet Like Sugar, Bitter Like a Lemon: Bulgaria’s CVM Report
On 13 November 2018, the Commission published the latest reports on Bulgaria and Romania under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism. Bulgaria’s report is full of praise. Not surprisingly, the Bulgarian government was overjoyed. The civil society, on the other hand, was clearly upset. Why? The short answer is that the picture painted by the CVM report does not correspond to reality and only pours water to Bulgaria’s autocratic mill. Continue reading >>Täglich grüßt das Murmeltier: Rechtmäßigkeit von Grenzschließungen aus Regierungssicht
Die Welt am Sonntag hat ein internes Regierungspapier veröffentlicht, wonach die Grenze im Herbst 2015 hätte geschlossen werden können. Intuitiv dürften sich all diejenigen bestätigt fühlen, die schon immer der Meinung waren, dass die Regierungspolitik falsch und rechtswidrig war. Doch was gibt das Papier wirklich her? Eine sorgsame Lektüre erlaubt nicht nur Einblick in den juristischen Maschinenraum der damaligen Entscheidungen, sondern zeigt auch manch überraschendes Ergebnis. Continue reading >>15 November 2018
On Thin Ice: the Role of the Court of Justice under the Withdrawal Agreement
Her alleged red line of bringing “an end to the jurisdiction of the Court of Justice in Britain” was always going to be a problem for Theresa May: After all, the UK’s commitment to comply with certain EU rules would inevitably mean that the ECJ’s interpretations of these rules would have to be binding on the UK. It is thus no surprise that the Withdrawal Agreement provides for the jurisdiction of the ECJ in various places. What is perhaps more of a surprise – and surely a negotiation win for the UK – is the EU’s legally problematic concession of an arbitration mechanism to resolve inter-party disputes over the interpretation of the Withdrawal Agreement. Continue reading >>Safety Net, Trap or Trampoline – Will the Backstop Lead to a No Deal Brexit?
Following yesterday’s announcement that the UK and the EU have agreed a revised text of the draft Withdrawal Agreement, the political fallout in the UK has begun with the UK Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab’s resignation from the Government. In his resignation letter, it is the so-called ‘backstop’ arrangements to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland that appears to be the primary cause of discontent. Continue reading >>14 November 2018
Ecclesia rules the waves: der Vatikan als Flaggenstaat privater Rettungsschiffe im Mittelmeer?
Ende September sorgte ein von der deutschen NGO Mission Lifeline auf Twitter veröffentlichtes Schreiben der Apostolischen Nuntiatur in Deutschland für Aufsehen. Darin antwortete die Nuntiatur auf eine Anfrage des Kapitäns des in Malta festgesetzten Rettungsschiffes Lifeline, diese unter der Flagge des Vatikans zu registrieren. Dieser Bitte gab die Nuntiatur im Auftrag des Staatssekretariats des Vatikans nicht statt. So erstaunlich die Idee einer Beflaggung durch den Vatikan im ersten Moment klingen mag: Ganz abwegig ist sie nicht. Continue reading >>
0
13 November 2018
Combining Justice with Power: How to Challenge the Narrative of Democratic Authoritarian Populism
Israel's Nation-State Law can be seen as an expression of the kind of democratic authoritarian populism that appears to be spreading globally. But it is no time to give up the game and there are examples that show how it is possible to counter the narrative of democratic authoritarian populism. Continue reading >>
0
12 November 2018
The Politics of Language in the Nation’s Law – Between Bialik and Orwell
Much has been, and will be, written about what the Basic Law – Jewish Nation-State does, but attention is also due to how it does what it does. . The use of language in the Nation’s Law is so troubling in its sophist concealment of the meanings of the norms it encodes, that it creates, perhaps, injustice of the second order. Continue reading >>
0
Never Missing an Opportunity to Miss an Opportunity: The Council Legal Service Opinion on the Commission’s EU budget-related rule of law mechanism
Regrettably, we need to add the Council’s Legal Service to the list of key EU actors that seem intent on ignoring the existential threat to the Union posed by the spreading rule of law rot amongst EU member governments. In a (non-public) opinion on the proposed regulation of the Commission to create rule of law conditionality in the multi-annual financial framework adopted on 25 October 2018, the CLS indeed put forward multiple unpersuasive legal arguments to claim that the Commission’s proposal cannot be adopted. With this opinion, the CLS is advising the Council to actually prevent other institutions of the EU from doing their job to uphold and defend the set of common values on which the EU is based. Continue reading >>11 November 2018
Lesarten des UN-Migrationspaktes und der Wert parlamentarischer Debatte
Mit einem Entschließungsantrag hat die AfD-Fraktion den Deutschen Bundestag gezwungen, am vergangenen Donnerstag über den UN-Migrationspakt zu beraten. Dabei nimmt die AfD einseitig die Aspekte aufs Korn , die aus einer nationalstaatlichen Perspektive bedenklich erscheinen könnten. Es ist jedoch auch eine ganz andere Lesart des Pakts möglich. Continue reading >>Democratic Decay Resource (DEM-DEC): Fourth Monthly Bibliography Update-November 2018
DEM-DEC was formally launched on Monday 22 October with a [...] Continue reading >>
0
The Origins of Racism and the new Basic Law: Jewish Nation-State
The opponents of Israel's Nation-State Law can be roughly divided into two camps. The first camp views the law and especially its Article 1 as racist while the second camp cosiders it as conflicting with basic democratic values because it does not include the right of equality. This group also views Article 1 as simply declarative, as from the moment of its establishment the State of Israel has defined itself as a Jewish state. How does Israeli law perceive racism? And how tenable is the proposition of the Law being merely declaratory? Continue reading >>
0
10 November 2018
Responding to the Nation-State Law: Norms and Narratives of Solidarity in Israeli Constitutional Law
The Nation-State Law saga revealed in Israel’s constitutional politics three constitutional narratives while only two are conventionally recognized. . This third narrative is usually disregarded by the Israeli Jewish public and perceived as marginal or even as an existential threat. But in the debates about the Nation-State Law the force of this narrative became apparent and it is about time to shed light on the presence and the value of this alternative narrative. Continue reading >>
0
09 November 2018
Israel’s Nation-State Law – What Now for Equality, Self-Determination, and Social Solidarity?
The enactment of Basic Law: Israel as the Nation State of the Jewish People on July 19th, 2018, triggered an intense public debate, not only in Israel. But what are the implications of this law? In particular, how is it likely to affect minorities, the right of Israel’s Arab-Palestinian minority to internal self-determination, and the possible development of all-encompassing social solidarity in Israel? Continue reading >>
0
08 November 2018
Taschenspielertricks mit der Idee demokratischer Selbstbestimmung: Der AfD-Antrag zur Ablehnung des UN-Migrationspakts
Heute wurde im Bundestag ein Antrag der AfD-Fraktion beraten, nach dem die Bundesrepublik Deutschland dem UN-Migrationspakt nicht beitreten soll. Die AfD-Fraktion bringt darin nicht nur ihre wenig überraschende Ablehnung von Migration zum Ausdruck, sondern auch ein äußerst krudes Verständnis von Völkerrecht und staatlicher Souveränität. Was durchscheint ist eine ethno-nationalistische und anti-demokratische Verdrehung der Idee demokratischer Selbstbestimmung sowie die Sehnsucht nach einer verbündeten internationalen Rechten. Continue reading >>06 November 2018
Between a Rock and a Hard Place: The Dilemma of Continuing or Ceasing Russian Membership in the Council of Europe
Last week the Washington Post reported that top Russian officials are contemplating withdrawal from the Council of Europe. This latest development illustrates the growing tensions between Russia and the Council of Europe which could ultimately lead to the cessation of Russia's membership. Both Russia and the Council of Europe, however, face a dilemma when it comes to deciding what steps should be taken. Continue reading >>
0
05 November 2018
Murder in the Name of Allah: Asia Bibi and Pakistan’s Blasphemy Law
The Pakistani Supreme Court’s release of Asia Naureen, a mother of five from Pakistan’s shrinking Christian community who was imprisoned nine years ago on trumped-up blasphemy charges, has riled up the religious right and spiralled into scorching new waves of violence. The Supreme Court, however, had no qualms with mandatory death sentences for insults against the Prophet. Continue reading >>03 November 2018
Birthright Citizenship and Presidential Power
The Halloween season is traditionally a time for scares and surprises in the United States. This year, President Trump got in on the act, floating a truly shocking idea on October 30. In an interview with Axios, the President declared that he intended to sign an executive order ending birthright citizenship in the United States. Before diving into the law, it is worth pausing to consider what a breathtaking idea it is that the President could unilaterally determine who counts as a citizen. Continue reading >>02 November 2018
Playing the chicken game: The conflict over Italy’s draft budget reveals a construction flaw in the EMU
The next period of nightlong European summits and standoffs between the European institutions and one of its member states is looming: Italy and the EU are at odds about its new budget proposal. This is a result of the setup of the Economic and Monetary Union, which will continue to produce such stalemates as long as dominant countries make common rules for their own sake and others try to circumvent them. Continue reading >>Gewolltes Recht
Anmerkungen zur Vereinbarung zwischen Griechenland und Deutschland zur Rücksendung von Asylsuchenden im Kontext der Binnengrenzkontrollen an der deutsch-österreichischen Grenze. Continue reading >>
0
31 October 2018
Rumours made in Germany: Wie das Auswärtige Amt das Menschenrecht der Auswanderungsfreiheit kriminalisiert
Das Recht zur Ausreise und Auswanderung stellt ein allgemein anerkanntes Menschenrecht dar. Das dürfte auch im Auswärtigen Amt bekannt sein. Stattdessen aber finanziert das Ministerium eine geschmacklos bebilderte Anzeigenkampagne, in der es heißt: „SAY NO TO ILLEGAL EMIGRATION“. Auf diese Weise werden Migrationswillige gezielt desinformiert und wird die Ausübung eines Menschenrechts kriminalisiert. Continue reading >>What Being Left Behind by the Rule of Law Feels Like, Part II
By now it must be clear to all that the Hungarian and Polish governments do have a plan that is built on staying within the Union, and changing it from the inside, (ab)using its institutions, resources and weaknesses to their own benefit. Every round and every step where European institutions falter in preventing moves to this effect is an opportunity for the offending member states to pursue their strategies even further. Continue reading >>
0
Guilty of Homelessness – The Resurgence of Penal Populism in Hungary
In Hungary, “residing in public spaces as habitual dwelling” constitutes a petty offence punishable by community service work or confinement. Even though the constitution had been amended to provide a basis for that, it is not inconceivable that the criminalization of being homeless is found unconstitutional. Continue reading >>
0
30 October 2018
Iudex calculat: Why Constitutional Scholars Should Surmount their Allergy to Numbers
Law students often mention poor math scores as a reason to elect their course of study. Refugees of a world increasingly dominated by numbers and number-crunchers, jurists often wear the adage “iudex non calculat” as a badge of honour. Surmounting the discipline’s allergy to numbers could do some good not just to constitutional judges but also to the scholarship that concerns itself with the discussion of the constitutional texts they are supposed to apply but also with the decisions they churn out. Continue reading >>
0
Toleranz ja! Aber gegenüber wem? Der österreichische Blasphemiestraftatbestand vor dem EGMR
Das am 25.10.2018 veröffentlichte Urteil des EGMR in E.S./Österreich (Beschwerde Nr. 38450/12) hat für erhebliches Aufsehen und einige Aufregung und Kritik gesorgt – zu Recht. Die ganz auf den konkreten Sachverhalt fokussierte Entscheidung interessiert vor allem für das, was sie nicht oder nur am Rande behandelt: die Kriminalisierung blasphemischer Äußerungen durch Bestimmungen wie § 188 StGB. Continue reading >>
0
29 October 2018
What Being Left Behind by the Rule of Law Feels Like, Part I
On October 25, 2018 Central European University (CEU) made international news again. President and Rector Michael Ignatieff announced that CEU is moving to Vienna, unless the Hungarian government makes progress by December 1, 2018 on the international agreement it is meant to sign with the State of New York under Hungarian law. In the last few hours many readers of this blog, friends and colleagues, took to asking how I felt about this. Disappointed, frustrated – but most of all: betrayed. Continue reading >>
0
27 October 2018
The Italian Budget Drama – Brussels and Rome on Collision Course
The EU Commission has, for the first time, rejected a budget plan of a member state. While the Italian government drums its chest and the markets get increasingly nervous, the situation remains deadly serious. It is moreover deeply symptomatic of the potential, limits and fundamental shortcomings of the current architecture of Eurozone fiscal governance. Continue reading >>Lesbische Eltern! Warum das Kindeswohl keinen Aufschub mehr verträgt
Lesbische Frauen können in Deutschland seit mehr als einem Jahr eine Ehe schließen. Im Recht der Eltern-Kind-Zuordnung werden sie aber immer noch nicht gleichbehandelt. Das will ein Gesetzentwurf von B90/DIE GRÜNEN ändern. In der Bundestagsdebatte verwiesen zahlreiche Abgeordnete auf bestehende Prüfungserfordernisse. Die Prüfungen sind aber längst erfolgt. Die rechtliche Gleichstellung lesbischer Co-Mütter darf nicht weiter vertagt werden. Continue reading >>26 October 2018
Though this be Madness, yet there’s Method in’t: Pitting the Polish Constitutional Tribunal against the Luxembourg Court
At the beginning of October 2018, Poland’s Prosecutor General submitted a request to the Constitutional Tribunal to examine the compliance of Article 267 TFEU with the Polish Constitution, so far as it allows the referral of preliminary questions regarding the organization of the national judiciary. Despite the relatively easy identification of motives underlying the application, there is need for analysis and evaluation of the contents of the application as well as the argumentation used as justification for this task, not least because there is a lot at stake. Continue reading >>Slovenia’s Supreme Court rejects the European Court of Human Rights
On Wednesday 24th of October the Supreme Court of the Republic of Slovenia made a striking, indeed unprecedented, announcement. After a rather uncontroversial and routine ruling by the ECtHR, the Supreme Court has declared – in a mere press release and without any justification – that it respects only the rulings of the Strasbourg Court that it finds persuasive. In so doing, Slovenia hints at joining the regimes of Russia and Turkey. Continue reading >>Expanding the Franchise – another Sleight of Hand by the Hungarian Government?
The Hungarian government plans to expand the right to vote in the upcoming European elections to Hungarians living outside the EU. Is the aim of this plan simply to comply with EU law? Or is this another part in the long history of Fidesz trying to manipulate the franchise in their favour? Continue reading >>25 October 2018
On the Brink of Joining Poland and Hungary: The Night of Surprises in the Slovak Parliament
The relatively short political history of the Slovak parliament has already witnessed several dramatic sessions. The latest drama unfolded during the night of 23 October in a parliamentary session to discuss and vote on an amendment of the Constitution and a new Act on the Constitutional Court that could have put Slovakia on a direct path to follow Hungary and Poland. The night turned out to be full of surprises. Continue reading >>What does a Bolsonaro Presidency mean for Brazilian Law? Part 2: the Reforms and the Court
Jair Bolsonaro, an extreme right-wing former army officer who has spent the last 20 years as a representative in Congress, is at this point likely to be the next president of Brazil. But what are the implications for Brazilian law in case of Bolsoaro's victory? Part 2 looks at the probable scenarios before Brazil's Supreme Court if any of the reforms are challenged. Continue reading >>
0
24 October 2018