16 June 2025
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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Parlamentarische Frage vs. Schutz vor Rassismus
Parlamentarische Anfragen nach den Vornamen deutscher Tatverdächtiger haben eine unrühmliche Geschichte. 2024 verweigerte der Berliner Senat erstmals die Auskunft, weil er das Recht auf informationelle Selbstbestimmung verletzt sah. Der Berliner Verfassungsgerichtshof hat diese Argumentation nun zurückgewiesen und die Antwortverweigerung als Verstoß gegen Abgeordnetenrechte gewertet – ohne dabei den Rassismus solcher Anfragen zu thematisieren. Dagegen weist das Minderheitenvotum zu Recht darauf hin, dass Diskriminierungsverbote eine verfassungsimmanente Grenze parlamentarischer Informationsrechte bilden. Continue reading >>Overcoming the Hungarian Veto
A Russian victory over Ukraine would make a military confrontation with Europe more likely. To prevent this, the Union must prolong the Russian sanctions, including the freezing of 200 billion EUR in central bank assets. The prolongation of these sanctions requires a unanimous decision pursuant to Article 31(1) TEU. Hungary threatens to obstruct this decision. We propose a way to end Hungary's obstruction. It requires no grand actions, only a few interpretative steps and a narrow political consensus. Continue reading >>The Nondelegation Case Against Trump’s New Travel Ban
Donald Trump has imposed the second travel ban of his presidential history. Despite the enormous harm it is likely to cause, many assume there is no effective way to challenge it in court. The Supreme Court's ruling in Trump v. Hawaii (2018) – addressing Trump’s first-term “Muslim ban” – probably precludes challenges based on discriminatory intent. Nonetheless, there is an alternative path to striking down the new travel ban: the nondelegation doctrine. This doctrine sets limits to Congress’s delegation of legislative authority to the executive. Continue reading >>12 June 2025
Das Ringen um das genetische Phantombild
Die Ausweitung der DNA-Analyse auf die biogeografische Herkunft entfacht neue Kontroversen zwischen Politik, Wissenschaft und Öffentlichkeit. Wie aussagekräftig sind genetische Phantombilder wirklich und wo liegen ihre Grenzen? Kritiker warnen vor Diskriminierung und voreiligen Schlüssen, während Befürworter auf Fortschritte in der Verbrechensbekämpfung hoffen. Der Streit um die erweiterte DNA-Analyse macht deutlich, wie schmal der Grat zwischen kriminaltechnischer Innovation und gesellschaftlicher Gefahr ist. Continue reading >>
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Kein Problem des Zivilrechts
139 Seiten Gerichtsurteil, ein peruanischer David gegen einen Goliath der deutschen Energiewirtschaft und eine Gletscherkatastrophe. Das hätte zur juristischen Großerzählung an einer schwierigen Schnittstelle zwischen Privat- und Verwaltungsrecht getaugt. Man hätte das Eigentumsrecht in einer globalisierten Welt vermessen und hinterfragen können, ob das BGB so einem Fall gerecht werden kann. Aber das Oberlandesgericht Hamm will in seinem Klimaurteil vom 28. Mai 2025 in die Beweiswürdigung und löst den Fall, als spiele er in Wanne-Eickel: Gutachten, kein Beweis für die Gefahr, Klage abgewiesen. Continue reading >>Die Waffen des Rechts gegen die Waffen der AfD
Immer mehr Waffenbehörden versuchen, Waffenbesitzern aufgrund ihrer Mitgliedschaft in der AfD die Waffenbesitzkarte zu entziehen. Seither haben sich mehrere Gerichte damit auseinandergesetzt – jüngst auch das OVG Münster, das entschied, dass der Widerruf einer waffenrechtlichen Erlaubnis gegenüber einem AfD-Mitglied rechtswidrig war. Dieser Beitrag zeigt, dass die Begründung des OVG dogmatisch richtig ist. Zugleich hat der Gesetzgeber aber Spielraum, die Anforderungen an die Zuverlässigkeit von Waffenbesitzern zu verschärfen. Verfassungsrechtliche Gründe stehen dem nicht entgegen. Continue reading >>
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Power, Profit, and Washington’s Paradox
The Trump administration has been accused of corruptly placing private financial benefit above the public interest, most recently in President Trump’s acceptance of the gift of a Boeing 747 from Qatar for his use as Air Force 1, and invitations to dinner at a private club and to a private White House tour, offered as perks for those who invested substantial sums in his Stablecoin. Although, here, the President’s self-enrichment is blatant, more troubling are his policies aimed at dismantling safeguards against corruption at home and abroad. These reveal a deep contradiction in the warring goals of those currently governing in Washington; a contradiction that may eventually burst into the open. Continue reading >>
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11 June 2025
Somewhere Over The Rainbow
On 5 June 2025, Advocate General Ćapeta issued her Opinion in Commission v. Hungary, a landmark ECJ case on Hungary’s “anti-LGBTIQ” law. While the law is overtly discriminatory, the Commission framed its case around internal market rules, Charter rights, and Article 2 TEU values. While this might seem curious, I argue this reflects a strategic “camouflaging” of non-discrimination claims to better protect LGBTIQ rights within the limits of current EU anti-discrimination and equality law. Continue reading >>
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Der Verfassungsschutz und die roten Linien der Demokratie
Vor einigen Wochen hat der Verfassungsschutz einen Bericht veröffentlicht, der die AfD als Bundespartei als gesichert rechtsextremistisch einstuft. Im Ergebnis ist das richtig – aber die Beweisführung der Behörde weist einige Mängel auf, die schlussendlich der AfD in die Hände spielen. Continue reading >>Anatomy of a Liberal Fall
In Poland, just one week ago, Karol Nawrocki – a virtually unknown, PiS-backed candidate with a murky past – surprisingly defeated Rafał Trzaskowski, deputy leader of the centrist Civic Platform and mayor of Warsaw. How could such a random figure triumph over an experienced and popular politician? In this commentary, I argue that Trzaskowski’s defeat was no accident, but the latest chapter in a longer political story – one shaped by public frustration, broken promises, the emptiness of Polish liberalism, and anti-elitist sentiment present in the society. Continue reading >>
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10 June 2025
What Nawrocki’s Victory Means for Europe
On June 1st, Polish voters rendered a fateful decision in the presidential election. Karol Nawrocki narrowly defeated Rafał Trzaskowski, the pro-European mayor of Warsaw. Nawrocki’s victory carries profound implications for Poland’s domestic trajectory. Moreover, despite what some commentators have argued, the new president might also well pose a threat for the European Union. Continue reading >>From Dialogue to Discord
Advocate General Ćapeta delivered her Opinion regarding a violation of Article 2 TEU, which lies at the heart of the pending case before the CJEU – a case that bears, quite appropriately, the name “Valeurs de l’Union”. Her opinion is likely to cause a stir. Even though this is not the final judgment, it is unprecedented for Article 2 TEU to be declared justiciable and found to have been infringed. Continue reading >>07 June 2025
U.S. Sanctions on the International Criminal Court
Since the negotiation of the Rome Statute, U.S. relations with the Court have zig-zagged between quiet support and open hostility. With President Trump’s return to office, we are back to confrontation. On June 5, Secretary of State Marco Rubio made sanction designations of four ICC judges – two of whom authorized the investigation into Afghanistan and two of whom approved the Netanyahu and Gallant arrest warrants. This post describes these developments and situates them within the broader context of U.S.-ICC relations. Continue reading >>
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06 June 2025
Migrant “Instrumentalisation” before the ICJ
On 19 May, Lithuania introduced proceedings against Belarus before the International Court of Justice for the alleged smuggling of migrants. Lithuania claims that Belarus violated provisions of the Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air, which supplements the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. This blog will detail several difficulties with Lithuania’s argument which seeks to collapse key differences between migrant smuggling and the practice of migrant “instrumentalisation”. Continue reading >>
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Using Immigration Court as a Trap
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has begun apprehending noncitizens at immigration court – where individuals appear to seek humanitarian relief or defend against deportation – immediately after the government moves to dismiss their case. Immigrants and their attorneys are increasingly reporting that ICE, in coordination with government lawyers, is detaining individuals as they exit court following such dismissals. Rather than providing a reprieve, dismissal is now being used to facilitate detention and potentially summary deportation, raising serious concerns about due process and adherence to governing statutes in the United States. Continue reading >>
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Sleeping on Bills
In a landmark judgment from April 2025, the Indian Supreme Court ruled that gubernatorial inaction is unconstitutional. Responding to the Governor of Tamil Nadu’s failure to act on ten bills, the Court declared such inaction “illegal” and reasserted limits to gubernatorial discretion. It not only imposed a timeframe for assent but also used its extraordinary powers to deem the bills passed. Continue reading >>
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A New Look at Confiscating Russian Assets
In the near future, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) may issue its first compensation awards against Russia for its conduct in the war in Ukraine. When that happens, the question of how to enforce such awards will become paramount. Given Russia’s lack of cooperation, claimants may seek to enforce compensation awards in third states holding Russian assets, a promising yet untested avenue. Drawing from a recent report by Open Society Justice Initiative (OSJI), this post explores some of the legal hurdles this avenue entails as well as some of its broader implications. We believe that this approach could be a limited but significant instrument to redress harm for victims of human rights abuse committed in the war. Continue reading >>
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“For the Sole Reason of Being Born Mixed-Race”
Where there is a will, there is a way. This phrase could sum up the logic behind the recent judgment of the Brussels Court of Appeal which condemned the Belgian government to compensate for the damage resulting from the abduction and racial segregation of children of white fathers and Black mothers during its colonisation of the Congo. The judgment sets a historic precedent: it is the first time that a domestic Court has ordered the government to pay financial compensation for acts that could have had amounted to crimes against humanity during its colonial past. Continue reading >>
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05 June 2025
Asylwende mit Hindernissen
Um die „Asylwende" zu erreichen, wurde im Kabinett nun beschlossen, dass der Familiennachzug bei Fällen subsidiären Schutzes ausgesetzt werden soll. Auch soll die Bundesregierung künftig per Rechtsverordnung „sichere Herkunftsländer" bestimmen können. Während die Aussetzung des Familiennachzugs von einem de facto und de jure unzutreffenden Verständnis des subsidiären Schutzes ausgeht, drohen bei der Einstufung von „sicheren Herkunftsstaaten“ per Rechtsverordnung Intransparenz und mangelhafte Begründung. Continue reading >>It’s Not a Trap
Despite most countries having trouble getting rid of bribery in daily life, only few so far have dared integrity testing: sending out undercover testers disguised as ordinary citizens to contact the public administration and check which public employees ask for bribes. The main argument against such undercover tests has been that they constitute “entrapment”. However, in Cavca, the ECtHR finally dispels the myth that these tests in and of themselves equal entrapment. Yet, the decision leaves one key question unaddressed: Just when does integrity testing become entrapment? Continue reading >>
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Populism over Principle
As EU officials arrive in Sofia to celebrate Bulgaria’s readiness for euro adoption, nationalist-fueled protests erupt in the streets. The tensions were triggered by President Rumen Radev’s unexpected call for a referendum on whether the country should join the euro on 1 January 2026 – despite Bulgaria having met all convergence criteria after years of effort. Far from a genuine democratic impulse, the move appears to be a populist gamble, trading legal commitments and European credibility for short-term political gain. Continue reading >>Behind Bars, Beyond Rights
The European Court of Human Rights has quietly endorsed a troubling new practice: denying prisoners access to information based solely on format, not content. In Tergek v. Türkiye, the Court upheld a ban on photocopies and printouts, deferring to vague security concerns. Read alongside Yasak, the judgment signals a broader shift away from rigorous rights protection toward deference to state narratives. If this trend continues, the Convention's core promise — to make rights practical and effective — stands on increasingly shaky ground. Continue reading >>
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04 June 2025
Eine Lagune im Gerichtssaal?
Die Debatte über Rechte der Natur hat auch in Deutschland an Fahrt gewonnen – nur die Strafrechtswissenschaft hat sie noch nicht erreicht. Dabei wäre eine solche Auseinandersetzung auch aus praktischen Gründen erforderlich: Nachdem Spanien im November 2022 das Ley 19/2022 verabschiedet hatte, wird sich in laufenden Strafverfahren nun erstmals entscheiden, ob das Rechtssubjekt Mar Menor vor Gericht auftreten kann. In diesem Beitrag entfalte ich die These, dass die Lagune über eine „acusación particular“ zur strafprozessualen Beteiligten werden kann: vertreten, aber in eigenem Namen. Continue reading >>Genocide in Gaza?
“Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.” This was the claim raised by South Africa before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague just two and a half months after Hamas' large-scale terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. South Africa alleges that Israel's military counteroffensive is not (primarily) directed against Hamas, but rather aims to destroy the group of Palestinians in Gaza as such. This accusation carries significant political and legal weight. However, proving the necessary intent to destroy is difficult; it should not be accepted lightly. At any rate, as Israel's warfare continues and becomes increasingly brutal, the evidence for genocide is mounting. Continue reading >>Endlich gleiches Recht für alle?
Mit der Ankündigung eines Haftbefehls gegen den israelischen Premierminister hat IStGH-Chefankläger Karim Khan den lange bestehenden Vorwurf selektiver Strafverfolgung offen aufgegriffen. Die internationale Strafjustiz steht vor der Herausforderung, ihre Maßstäbe zu schärfen und ihre Legitimität zu festigen. Das geplante Ukraine-Tribunal lenkt den Blick auf bestehende Asymmetrien – und auf das Potenzial für strukturelle Reformen. Ob daraus ein tatsächlicher Wandel erwächst, ist noch ungewiss. Doch der Anspruch auf Kohärenz im internationalen Strafrecht lässt sich nicht länger übergehen. Continue reading >>
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03 June 2025
The Questionable Concept of Protective Weapons
On 20 May 2025, the European Court of Human Rights handed down a landmark ruling in Russ v. Germany, finding that penalising a protester for wearing a makeshift visor breached his freedom of assembly. With its clear rejection of the German courts’ blanket approach, Strasbourg echoes long-standing constitutional concerns in German legal scholarship over the criminalisation of defensive gear at protests. Beyond Germany, the judgment affirms the Court’s role in shielding democratic participation across Europe. Continue reading >>
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Zurückweisungen vor Gericht
Das Verwaltungsgericht Berlin hat mit Beschluss vom 2.6.2025 im Eilverfahren entschieden, dass drei Asylsuchenden der Grenzübertritt nach Deutschland zu gestatten ist, um im Anschluss ein Dublin-Verfahren durchzuführen. Der Beschluss bestätigt die herrschende Auffassung in der Wissenschaft: Zurückweisungen an der Grenze sind europarechtswidrig. Auch eine Notlage wurde nicht substanziell begründet. An der jetzigen Praxis festzuhalten ist daher inakzeptabel. Continue reading >>Trump’s Threat to Nonprofits
The administration of President Trump is threatening nonprofits with the loss of tax-exempt status in an attempt to force them to conform their activities to policies favored by that administration. The threats are based on shaky legal grounds, and nonprofits have both constitutional and statutory bases for countering them. Nevertheless, these threats are significant, especially when combined with the administration’s efforts to cut government funding for many programs operated by nonprofits. And at the same time, the U.S. Congress is considering reducing the benefits of tax-exempt status in many ways, primarily to help pay for tax cuts benefitting wealthy individuals and corporations. Continue reading >>
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Slovakia’s Electoral Reform at a Crossroads
On May 21st and 22nd 2025, Prime Minister Robert Fico and Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok presented a series of proposals for substantial changes to Slovakia’s electoral system. The opposition swiftly criticized the plans as a threat to democratic governance. While the proposals differ in the severity of their constitutional and political implications, the most troubling is the significant increase in electoral deposits, which risks entrenching structural barriers to participation. In the context of Fico’s recent public rejection of liberal democracy and praise for one-party regimes, these reforms warrant close scrutiny – if not alarm. Continue reading >>02 June 2025
Assoziierungsabkommen und Völkerrechtsverstöße
Am 20. Mai 2025 haben 17 der 27 Außenminister der EU-Mitgliedstaaten dafür gestimmt, das Assoziierungsabkommen mit Israel durch die EU-Kommission aufgrund der Vorgänge in Gaza überprüfen oder auszusetzen zu lassen. Bereits vorher gab es vergleichbare Äußerungen des ehemaligen Hohen Vertreters für die Außen- und Sicherheitspolitik. Diese Situationen werfen erneut die Frage auf, ob und wie die EU auf Rechtsverletzungen von Vertragspartnern zu reagieren hat. Auch wenn der Union diesbezüglich ein weiter Spielraum zukommt: untätig bleiben darf sie bei schweren Völkerrechtsverstößen nicht. Continue reading >>
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A Tarnished Institution from Its Start
June 1st was a historical day for Mexico. The Mexican people – or, more precisely, around 13% of the electorate – went to the ballots to democratically elect their judges for the first time. The newly elected 2681 public officials, which will be announced in the following weeks, will serve in the local and federal judiciary, including the Supreme Court, and solve all types of disputes. While MORENA promises that the amendment will grant Mexico a reinvigorated judicial branch, it is instead getting a newly elected judiciary whose legitimacy has been tarnished from its very start. Continue reading >>What Are Human Rights For?
The Danish-Italian public letter to the European Court of Human Rights from 22 May 2025 must be understood in the context of two decades of “crises” in the European human rights regime. None of it is new or unprecedented. What makes it truly troubling, however, is the changed geopolitical context and the focus on migrants and asylum seekers as the most vulnerable. Continue reading >>
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Peace at What Price?
In recent months, a growing number of voices – from political figures such as U.S. President Donald Trump and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico to various public opinion polls – have suggested that a resolution to the war in Ukraine may require Kyiv to cede some of its territory to Russia. These arguments, now gaining renewed attention as peace talks have begun, frame territorial concessions as a pragmatic step toward ending the conflict. Ceding Ukrainian land under these conditions, however, would reward historical revisionism as a geopolitical strategy and set a dangerous precedent in international law. Continue reading >>
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01 June 2025
Success Without Victory
One of the most striking climate cases has come to a striking end. The Higher Regional Court of Hamm dismissed the lawsuit against RWE on minor factual grounds – yet at the same time confirmed that major emitters can, in principle, be held liable under German private law for climate-related harms. The ruling may ultimately represent a success without victory: A short-term loss for the plaintiff, but one that provides important insights and strategic lessons for future climate liability cases. Continue reading >>
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30 May 2025
Another Thread in the Spider Web
On April 14, 2025, the Hungarian parliament passed the 15th Amendment to the Fundamental Law, including new provisions allowing for the suspension of citizenship. Alongside the newly introduced Citizenship Suspension Law, the framework’s vague and expansive criteria provide the government with a powerful instrument to strip political opponents of their right to vote ahead of the 2026 parliamentary election - despite official claims to the contrary. Continue reading >>
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Challenging Strasbourg
Since 22 May 2025, a disquieting letter has been circulating: nine leading EU politicians are calling for “a new and open-minded conversation about the interpretation of the European Convention on Human Rights,” with particular reference to migration. The signatories seek to explore whether “the Court, in some cases, has extended the scope of the Convention on Human Rights too far compared with the original intentions behind the Convention, thus shifting the balance between the interests that should be protected.” The letter raises not only political and ethical questions but also significant legal concerns. Continue reading >>Erfolgreich gescheitert
Einer der spektakulärsten Klimahaftungsprozesse hat ein ebenso spektakuläres Ende gefunden: Das OLG Hamm hat die Klimaklage gegen RWE abgewiesen – und gleichzeitig klargestellt, dass Großemittenten grundsätzlich für Klimaschäden zivilrechtlich haftbar gemacht werden können. Das Urteil dürfte damit auf einen Fall von „success without victory“ hinauslaufen: Obwohl es kurzfristig eine Niederlage für den Kläger bedeutet, hält es für künftige Klimahaftungsklagen wertvolle Lektionen bereit. Continue reading >>
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28 May 2025
A Blow to Our Constitutional System
A little-noticed Supreme Court order may pave the way for a dramatic expansion of presidential authority—overturning a 90-year-old precedent and weakening the independence of key regulatory agencies. In the hands of a would-be autocrat, the Supreme Court decision has delivered a serious blow to the constitutional system. Continue reading >>
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Genozid in Gaza?
Israel begehe in Gaza einen Völkermord. Diesen Vorwurf trug Südafrika bereits rund zweieinhalb Monate nach dem großangelegten Terroranschlag der Hamas auf Israel vor dem Internationalen Gerichtshof (IGH) in Den Haag vor. Die militärische Gegenoffensive Israels richte sich nicht (primär) gegen die Hamas, sondern ziele darauf ab, die Gruppe der Palästinenser als solche zu zerstören. Dieser Vorwurf wiegt politisch wie rechtlich schwer. Die hierfür notwendige Zerstörungsabsicht ist nur schwer nachzuweisen und darf nicht vorschnell bejaht werden. Mit zunehmender Dauer und Brutalisierung der israelischen Kriegsführung verdichten sich jedoch die Indizien für das Vorliegen eines Genozids. Continue reading >>Versammlungsfreiheit auch mit Plastikvisier
Wer sich bei Demonstrationen vor Verletzungen schützen will, macht sich in Deutschland strafbar. Der Europäische Gerichtshof für Menschenrechte hat dem nun menschenrechtliche Grenzen gesetzt. Sein Urteil fordert ein Umdenken bei deutschen Behörden, Polizei sowie Gerichten und rückt den Schutz der Demonstrierenden ins Zentrum der Versammlungsfreiheit. Continue reading >>27 May 2025
Challenging Safe Access
Safe Access Zones (SAZ) in Great Britain, in force since autumn 2024, establish protective areas around abortion service providers and criminalise specific behaviours within these zones. However, ongoing anti-abortion protests raise questions about the practical enforceability of the new laws. This article examines whether SAZ laws can withstand these challenges and argues that they succeed in striking a fair balance between the rights of anti-abortion demonstrators and pregnant persons seeking access to lawful abortion services under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Continue reading >>
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Dismantling Jus Soli
The principle of jus soli has been progressively dismantled in France through the tightening of conditions governing access to French nationality in Mayotte—the 101st department of the Republic and an archipelago in the Comoros located in the Indian Ocean. This restrictive approach was reinforced by the adoption, on 9 April 2025, of a new legislative measure designed to further limit access to birthright citizenship. The Conseil constitutionnel upheld the constitutionality of the contested provisions in its decision of 7 May 2025. Continue reading >>Georgia’s Foreign Agent Law 2.0
Tolga Şirin recently argued for activating interim measures under Rule 39 of the European Court of Human Rights in cases of political prosecution, such as that of Istanbul’s mayor İmamoğlu. This argument gains renewed urgency in light of Georgia’s proposed foreign agent law. Indeed, as civil society organizations (CSOs) face the threat of criminal sanctions under “Foreign Agent Law 2.0”, Rule 39 could become their last remaining remedy. Continue reading >>
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