01 July 2014
Burqa Ban: Rights Protection Drawn on Proportionality Bottles
This article is available only in German. Continue reading >>
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28 June 2014
Germany will have to change it’s surrogate motherhood regime
This article is available only in German. Continue reading >>
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26 June 2014
Blogschau // Debatten der Woche // 21.06.-27.06.2014
Mobilfunküberwachung, Schottland, Sterbehilfe: Was die rechtswissenschaftlichen Blogs in dieser Woche zum Thema gemacht haben. Continue reading >>
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25 June 2014
Should academic lawyers blog?
As an academic lawyer who writes his own blog, as well as contributing occasionally to others, my answer to the question “Should academic lawyers blog?” is, perhaps unsurprisingly, “Yes”. However, I was recently prompted—by agreeing to talk about blogging at a conference on the teaching of public law held at City Law School earlier this week—to reflect more carefully on whether, and if so why, writing and contributing to blogs is something that academic lawyers should do. Continue reading >>
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Should academic lawyers blog?
As an academic lawyer who writes his own blog, as well as contributing occasionally to others, my answer to the question “Should academic lawyers blog?” is, perhaps unsurprisingly, “Yes”. However, I was recently prompted—by agreeing to talk about blogging at a conference on the teaching of public law held at City Law School earlier this week—to reflect more carefully on whether, and if so why, writing and contributing to blogs is something that academic lawyers should do. Continue reading >>
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Arbeitslohn illegaler Einwanderer als „Proceeds of Crime“: ein zauderhaftes Urteil aus Straßburg
Wer illegal nach Europa einwandert, kann offenbar nichts richtig machen: Bezieht man Sozialhilfe, bekommt man Ärger – aber wenn man ehrlich arbeitet, womöglich auch. So ist es dem Ivorer Didier Pierre Paulet in Großbritannien ergangen: Weil er mit einem gefälschten französischen Pass eingereist war, zogen die Behörden sein ganzes, in jahrelanger harter Arbeit verdientes Geld als „Einkünfte aus krimineller Tätigkeit“ ein. Dagegen zog Paulet vor dem Europäischen Gerichtshof für Menschenrechte. Jetzt ist das Urteil ergangen – und die Lösung, die Straßburg für diesen Fall findet, dürfte niemanden so richtig zufrieden stellen. Continue reading >>24 June 2014
Autonomous Universities in Times of Marketable Science
This article is available only in German. Continue reading >>
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Zu (universitärer) Autonomie in Zeiten marktförmiger Wissenschaft
Die Universität Frankfurt ist berühmt als Ort kritischen Denkens und kritischer Wissenschaft. Wie verträgt sich das mit ihrem Status als Stiftungsuniversität, die sich von privaten (Finanz-)Unternehmen bezahlen lässt? Beim "Tag der Rechtspolitik" trafen in Frankfurt jüngst Andreas Fischer-Lescano, der wohl schärfste Kritiker der jüngeren Frankfurter Hochschulpolitik, und der Direktor des "Insitute for Law and Finance" Theodor Baums aufeinander. Ein Bericht. Continue reading >>21 June 2014
Slovenia: a de facto failed constitutional democracy
Apparent abuse and instrumentalization of law, through the actions and omissions of the judiciary, to eliminate particular political opponents and to consolidate political, economic, legal-institutional and finally overall social power in the hands in which it has rested so far, that is the old-new post-communist elite – indeed, this is happening in a country which used to be known as the best disciple among the new Member States of the European Union. Continue reading >>Slovenia: a de facto failed constitutional democracy
Apparent abuse and instrumentalization of law, through the actions and omissions of the judiciary, to eliminate particular political opponents and to consolidate political, economic, legal-institutional and finally overall social power in the hands in which it has rested so far, that is the old-new post-communist elite – indeed, this is happening in a country which used to be known as the best disciple among the new Member States of the European Union. Continue reading >>20 June 2014
Blogschau // Debatten der Woche // 13.6.-20.6.2014
Überwachung, Geheimprozesse, Prostitutionsverbot: was die juristische Blogosphäre in dieser Woche in Atem gehalten hat. Continue reading >>
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Why the Debate between Kumm and Armstrong is about the Wrong Question
We can achieve a parliamentary system under the current EU legal regime, if politicians in the European Parliament have the ambition to take the necessary steps. If that happens then it will only be an academic question whether it follows from the treaties as a legal duty or whether it is just political reality and non-legal constitutional convention which were merely allowed by the legal rules. Continue reading >>
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Why the Debate between Kumm and Armstrong is about the Wrong Question
We can achieve a parliamentary system under the current EU legal regime, if politicians in the European Parliament have the ambition to take the necessary steps. If that happens then it will only be an academic question whether it follows from the treaties as a legal duty or whether it is just political reality and non-legal constitutional convention which were merely allowed by the legal rules. Continue reading >>Same Sex Marriage: Italian Constitutional Court demands registered partnership
This article is available only in German. Continue reading >>
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Geschlechtsumwandlung und Zwangsscheidung: zwei bahnbrechende Klärungen des italienischen Verfassungsgerichtshofes
Die Ehe bleibt gleichgeschlechtlichen Partnern in Italien verwehrt. In seinem jüngsten, bahnbrechenden Urteil zur Zwangsscheidung nach Geschlechtsumwandlung fordert der italienische Verfassungsgerichtshof aber vom Gesetzgeber, ihnen endlich eine eingetragene Lebensgemeinschaft zu ermöglichen. Continue reading >>19 June 2014
Five truisms on legal blogs, and what to think of them: Part II
This article is available only in German. Continue reading >>
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18 June 2014
Five truisms on legal blogs, and what to think of them
This article is available only in German. Continue reading >>
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17 June 2014
Forum Shopping between Luxembourg and Strasbourg?
After an accession of the EU to the ECHR, will the ECJ keep the last word with regard to the EU legal order? The Luxembourg judges seem to be troubled by worries. But the ECJ itself may prevent highest national courts from “forum shopping” by calling for attention to their obligations under EU law. Continue reading >>Forum Shopping zwischen Luxemburg und Straßburg?
Wenn die EU der Europäischen Menschenrechtskonvention beitritt, wird dann der EuGH das letzte Wort über die Unionsrechtsordnung behalten können? Den EuGH scheint die Sorge zu plagen, dass dann eine Art "Forum Shopping" zwischen Straßburg und Luxemburg droht – doch kann er dem selbst Einhalt gebieten, indem er den mitgliedstaatlichen Gerichten ihre unionsrechtlichen Pflichten in Erinnerung ruft. Continue reading >>14 June 2014
Will Slovenia join Hungary and Romania as examples of constitutional back-sliding?
Just weeks from the election, the Slovenian opposition leader will be sent to jail on dubious corruption charges – unless the Constitutional Court intervenes this week. Slovenia will find itself in an unprecedented constitutional regression and join the notorious Hungarian and Romanian examples of apparent constitutional back-sliding. Continue reading >>Will Slovenia join Hungary and Romania as examples of constitutional back-sliding?
Just weeks from the election, the Slovenian opposition leader will be sent to jail on dubious corruption charges – unless the Constitutional Court intervenes this week. Slovenia will find itself in an unprecedented constitutional regression and join the notorious Hungarian and Romanian examples of apparent constitutional back-sliding. Continue reading >>13 June 2014
Why Kumm is Wrong and there is not in LAW a duty to appoint Juncker
I would go so far to say that were the European Council to make a nomination based on the sort of legal duty Kumm asserts, and were that nomination to be taken by the qualified majority vote which the treaty permits, an outvoted state would have good legal grounds for challenging the decision before the European Court of Justice. Maybe then we would see who is right and who is wrong. Continue reading >>Why Kumm is Wrong and there is not in LAW a duty to appoint Juncker
I would go so far to say that were the European Council to make a nomination based on the sort of legal duty Kumm asserts, and were that nomination to be taken by the qualified majority vote which the treaty permits, an outvoted state would have good legal grounds for challenging the decision before the European Court of Justice. Maybe then we would see who is right and who is wrong. Continue reading >>Blogschau // Debatten der Woche // 06.06 – 13.06
Europawahlen, Bundespräsident, Migration: Was die konstitutionalistische Blogosphäre in dieser Woche interessant fand. Continue reading >>
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Why Armstrong is wrong and there IS in fact a legal duty to appoint Juncker
Thankfully the Treaties provide the basis for leaving behind the ancien régime of executive federalism and pushes towards a more democratic politics in Europe. Ironically the path to a brighter democratic future in Europe depends to a nontrivial extent on the Council acting in conformity with its duty to nominate a perhaps less than inspiring steady hand of the past as Commission President. Continue reading >>Why Armstrong is wrong and there IS in fact a legal duty to appoint Juncker
Thankfully the Treaties provide the basis for leaving behind the ancien régime of executive federalism and pushes towards a more democratic politics in Europe. Ironically the path to a brighter democratic future in Europe depends to a nontrivial extent on the Council acting in conformity with its duty to nominate a perhaps less than inspiring steady hand of the past as Commission President. Continue reading >>12 June 2014
Valuing the values and diluting the dilemma: a call for an EU framework for fundamental rights
The European Union is entering a time of revival and renewal. It has a brand new Parliament and will soon have a new Commission, one of whose members is likely to be made responsible specifically for fundamental rights. The European Council is about to adopt strategic guidelines that will guide the Union’s future policies in the area of Justice and Home Affairs – an area of utmost importance for fundamental rights. And the Union as a whole is in the process of acceding to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights. Similar to proposals by the European Union Agency for fundamental rights (FRA), the Council of the European Union concluded on 5 June 2014 that the EU could indeed “gradually” develop a “Union internal strategy on fundamental rights, possibly through an action plan on a mid-term basis, regarding the respect and promotion of the Charter”. This opens new perspectives for the protection and promotion of fundamental rights within the EU. This is the right moment to establish an EU internal framework for fundamental rights that mirrors the existing external fundamental rights framework. It would send a strong signal to the outside world, demonstrating that the EU and its Member States are prepared to ‘walk the talk’ and thus decrease the dilemma of inconsistency between the Union’s internal and external behaviour. Continue reading >>Valuing the values and diluting the dilemma: a call for an EU framework for fundamental rights
The European Union is entering a time of revival and renewal. It has a brand new Parliament and will soon have a new Commission, one of whose members is likely to be made responsible specifically for fundamental rights. The European Council is about to adopt strategic guidelines that will guide the Union’s future policies in the area of Justice and Home Affairs – an area of utmost importance for fundamental rights. And the Union as a whole is in the process of acceding to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights. Similar to proposals by the European Union Agency for fundamental rights (FRA), the Council of the European Union concluded on 5 June 2014 that the EU could indeed “gradually” develop a “Union internal strategy on fundamental rights, possibly through an action plan on a mid-term basis, regarding the respect and promotion of the Charter”. This opens new perspectives for the protection and promotion of fundamental rights within the EU. This is the right moment to establish an EU internal framework for fundamental rights that mirrors the existing external fundamental rights framework. It would send a strong signal to the outside world, demonstrating that the EU and its Member States are prepared to ‘walk the talk’ and thus decrease the dilemma of inconsistency between the Union’s internal and external behaviour. Continue reading >>
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