18 June 2021
„Ne bis in idem“ – auch für Mörder?
Vergangenen Freitag, am 11. Juni 2021, hat der Bundestag einen Gesetzentwurf der Fraktionen CDU/CSU und SPD behandelt. Inhalt: Wiederaufnahme im Strafprozess nach rechtskräftigem Freispruch bei Verbrechen wegen Mordes und Verbrechen nach VStGB. Der Entwurf führt ausdrucksstark an, dass die bisherige Rechtslage zu „schlechterdings unerträglichen Ergebnissen führen würde“. Doch Gegner des Vorhabens sehen die Rechtssicherheit in Gefahr, die anders zu beantworten sind, als dies der Gesetzentwurf macht. Continue reading >>
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A Tale of Primacy Part. II
On 18 May 2021, the CJEU issued a judgment on several requests for preliminary ruling by Romanian national courts regarding the impact of EU law on Romanian laws on the judiciary and the CVM. On 8 June, the Romanian Constitutional Court issued a decision pertaining to the subject. In a succession of legal nonsense, it shattered hope that the CJEU’s judgment could be a guide for national courts for applying the primacy of the EU law. Continue reading >>17 June 2021
A Hidden Revolution
European data protection law has become (in-)famously known as one of the main tools for both the European legislature and the European Court of Justice (ECJ) to push the boundaries of European integration. The most recent decision of the Court in Case C-645/19, 15 June 2021 – Facebook Ireland continues this well-established tradition. What may at first glance appear as a rather technical ruling might initiate a hidden revolution and lead to an unprecedented step for the ever-closer integration of the EU’s legal order. Continue reading >>
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Sind Verstöße gegen die Vorlagepflicht noch an Art. 101 GG zu messen?
Aussetzungs- und Vorlagebeschlüsse deutscher Gerichte sind unionsrechtlich volldeterminierte Akte deutscher Staatsgewalt. Damit sind sie seit der BVerG-Entscheidung "Recht auf Vergessen II" nicht mehr an dem Grundgesetz, sondern an den Chartagrundrechten zu messen, genauer gesagt an Art. 47 UAbs. 2 GRC. Continue reading >>16 June 2021
Bestenauswahl oder Beinfreiheit?
Am kommenden Donnerstag wird sich der schleswig-holsteinische Landtag mit einem Gesetzentwurf zwecks Änderung des Landesrichtergesetzes befassen. Der Entwurf wird von allen demokratischen Fraktionen getragen und zielt im Kern darauf ab, die Grundsätze der Bestenauswahl nach Art. 33 Abs. 2 GG bei der Anstellung und Beförderung von RichterInnen im Land zugunsten von „mehr Beinfreiheit“ für den Richterwahlausschuss zurückzufahren. Wer „die Besten“ sind, soll sich fortan nicht mehr (nur) nach Eignung, Befähigung und fachlicher Leistung, sondern nach anderen, allerdings nicht näher beschriebenen Kriterien entscheiden. Der Plan ist nicht nur verfassungsrechtlich, sondern auch politisch höchst problematisch. Continue reading >>A Hollow Threat
On 10 June, the European Parliament passed a resolution on the application of the Conditionality Regulation and threatens to take the EU Commission to Court. However, the very peculiar ‘action for failure to act’ set out in Article 265 TFEU is not an appropriate procedure to solve the problem at issue. The Parliament should employ the more political means at its disposal to tackle a problem that is ultimately political in nature. Continue reading >>
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The Demise of Viking and Laval
In Viking and Laval, the ECJ reduced the right of trade unions to take collective action and made it subject to the requirements of the four freedoms, effectively undermining its recognition as a fundamental right according to EU law. This sent shockwaves through the trade unions of Europe. In its recent Holship ruling, the ECtHR has challenged this, with potentially wide-reaching implications for the relationship between the human rights and EU fundamental freedoms, seen from the perspective of Strasbourg. Continue reading >>15 June 2021
Ende der Krise ohne Ende des Krisenrechts?
Die Pandemie geht, das Lernen geht weiter – oder genauer sagt: beginnt erst richtig. Ausnahmesituationen weisen drei riskante Zonen auf: Den Übergang in das Sonderrecht, die Begrenzung des Sonderrechts und den Ausstieg aus dem Sonder- in den Normalfall. Sie alle haben sich in der Bundesrepublik nach den Vorgaben des Grundgesetzes zu vollziehen. Denn Pandemie und Katstrophen sind Ausnahmesituationen im Recht, nicht vom Recht; nach der Verfassung, nicht von der Verfassung. Continue reading >>
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The Courts Strike Back
The Shell case, decided by the Hague District Court on 26 May 2021, is part of a growing body of climate cases. What the Shell case does is that it liberates the political-decision maker from the suffocating grip of investor state dispute settlement mechanisms, in particular the mechanism under the Energy Charter Treaty. Continue reading >>No Country for ‘Old Men’
On 2 June 2021, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky submitted a bill on the status of oligarchs before the Ukrainian parliament. The bill would have wide-ranging implications. It does not only provide a definition of who counts as an oligarch but also provides measures to reduce the influence of oligarchs in media and public life. Continue reading >>
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From Russia with Love
On 15 June, the Hungarian Parliament is expected to vote on a legislative package on stricter actions against paedophile offenders. Attached to this noble cause, the ruling party seeks to prohibit the “representation” and “promotion” of LGBTI identities to minors. The proposal would outlaw almost any mention of sexual and gender minorities in schools. Continue reading >>
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The Power of Open Norms
In a judgement of 26 May, the District Court of the Hague found that Royal Dutch Shell has an “individual responsibility” to limit its carbon emissions by at least 45 percent by 2030. Notable about the ruling is the unwritten standard of care functioning as an open norm, facilitating the accountability of private power. The openness of legal categories not only entails a potential to drive forward social change, but it also implicitly highlights the political role and nature of private law. Continue reading >>14 June 2021
Kippt die Kommission die Braunkohle-Entschädigung?
Die Bundesregierung hat sich mit verschiedenen Betreibergesellschaften auf eine millardenschwere Entschädigung für den Braunkohle-Ausstieg geeinigt. Nicht nur die öffentliche Kritik an der Einigung ist groß. Auch die EU-Kommission hat Zweifel an der EU-Rechtskonformität der Entschädigungszahlungen geäußert und nun ein förmliches Prüfverfahren eingeleitet. Continue reading >>
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Does the End of the Netanyahu Government Mark the End of “Democratic Backsliding” in Israel?
What does the end of the Netanyahu era mean for “constitutional populism” in Israel, where the “Nation-State Law" was cited as one of the main components of an “anti-constitutional” revolution? To answer these questions, we should recall that the Israeli version of “democratic decline”/constitutional crisis/populism developed against a complex background. The most important element of it is the attempt to entrench Israel’s ethnic nature as a “Jewish state,” against liberal currents epitomized for the right wing in several rulings of the Israeli Supreme Court. Continue reading >>Defending Democracy with Authoritarian Means
Brazilian Congress is currently discussing a legislative proposal to replace the current Law of National Security, enacted during the time of the military dictatorship in Brazil. It revokes the current Law of National Security and introduces a new section to Brazil’s Criminal Code defining various crimes against democracy, such as political violence, the dissemination of fake news in electoral campaigns and sabotage against democratic institutions. Continue reading >>12 June 2021
Die Ultra-vires-Kontrolle als notwendiger Baustein der europäischen Demokratie
Am 9. Juni 2021 hat die Europäische Kommission, in Antwort auf das PSPP-Urteil des Bundesverfassungsgerichts vom 5. Mai 2020, ein Vertragsverletzungsverfahren gegen die Bundesrepublik Deutschland eingereicht. Dieses Vertragsverletzungsverfahren ist politisch unklug, rechtlich unzulässig und womöglich unbegründet. Allerdings birgt es auch das Potential, die unionsrechtliche Zulässigkeit des Rechtsinstituts der Ultra-vires-Kontrolle festzustellen. Continue reading >>11 June 2021
A Matter of Principle
On 9 June 2021, the European Commission announced that it is bringing an infringement procedure against Germany for breach of fundamental principles of EU law. The procedure is less about the possible outcomes and more a matter of principle. By launching it, the Commission is emphasizing the notion of equality between the member states. Continue reading >>Kenya and the BBI Five
On May 13 this year, a five-judge bench of the Kenya High Court struck down a state effort to amend Kenya’s 2010 Constitution. The ruling was a shocker when it came down. Will the Court of Appeal rescue or sink President Kenyatta? Continue reading >>Bringing a Knife to a Gunfight
On 10 June 2021, the European Parliament adopted a Resolution on the Rule of Law situation in the European Union and the application of the Conditionality Regulation. In this Resolution, the European Parliament expresses its concerns about the regression of the democratic situation in several member States and regrets the inaction of other institutions, notably the Council and the Commission. Continue reading >>
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Kein „body-count“ bei subsidiärem Schutz
Der Verwaltungsgerichtshof Baden-Württemberg muss über die Klagen auf subsidiären Schutz von zwei afghanischen Staatsangehörigen entscheiden und hat den EuGH um Klärung der unionsrechtlichen Kriterien zur Gewährung subsidiären Schutzes gebeten. Am 10. Juni entschied der EuGH nun gegen den rein quantitativen „body-count“ Ansatz des Bundesverwaltungsgerichts. Continue reading >>Der Fall Brandstetter und der österreichische Verfassungsgerichtshof
Der Skandal um private Chat-Nachrichten zwischen einem Richter des österreichischen Verfassungsgerichtshofs und einem Sektionschef des Justizministeriums wirft ein Schlaglicht auf ein Problem des Verfassungsgerichtshofs generell: dass seine Mitglieder ihr Amt neben ihrem Beruf ausüben. Continue reading >>10 June 2021
Versammeln unter Aufsicht
Die Landesregierung von Nordrhein-Westfalen prischt mit einem eigenen Versammlungsgesetz vor. Der Gesetzesentwurf ist tief von einem polizeilichen Trauma im Kontext der Proteste gegen den Braunkohleabbau und die Energiepolitik geprägt. Der Ansatz von Innenminister Reul, die seit der Brokdorf-Entscheidung des BVerfG etablierten Grundsätze eines mit Art. 8 GG kompatiblen Versammlungsrechts „auch in anderen Zusammenhängen einmal auf den Prüfstand“ zu stellen, trug offenbar in der Regierungskoalition Früchte. Continue reading >>Constitutional Triumph or Constitutional Aberration?
The Kenyan Hight Court's incorporation of the basic structure doctrine into the Kenyan constitutional framework has been generally received as a cause for celebration among constitutional scholars. This article, however, calls for some restraint in the growing scholarly celebration of efforts to expand the basic structure doctrine. Continue reading >>
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09 June 2021
Kein Anspruch auf Sendezeit
Rechtsradikale Parteien haben keinen Rechtsanspruch auf Programmpräsenz im öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunk. Es bleibt der Programmautonomie der Sender und der Redaktionen überlassen, wie sie mit den Vertreter*innen der AfD im Programm umgehen wollen. Continue reading >>Nicaragua’s Electoral Counter-Reform
On 4 May 2021, the Nicaraguan National Assembly adopted an electoral reform. Alongside other legislative acts that limit civil society’s operating space, the electoral reform not only sets a gloomy outlook for presidential elections scheduled in Nicaragua for November this year. The reform also violates Inter-American democratic standards as it severely restricts the independence of political parties and leaves the Supreme Electoral Council under significant influence of Nicaragua’s governing party and president. Continue reading >>
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Shell’s Climate Obligation
On 26 May, the District Court of The Hague ruled that the fossil fuels company Royal Dutch Shell needs to reduce its emissions by 45 percent by 2030, compared to 2019. Precisely, the court held Shell responsible for its entire production and supply chain. The ruling will greatly advance the implementation of Article 2 of the Paris Agreement and climate-related human rights. Continue reading >>
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Standing for Piglets
In a non-acceptance order of 14 May 2021, the German Federal Constitutional Court refused to accept a constitutional complaint submitted by the German Branch of the animal rights organization PETA for adjudication. The Constitutional Court missed an opportunity to open the constitution to non-anthropocentric approaches. A constitutional amendment might be necessary to explicitly terminate the long-standing mediatization of the natural environment with its negative consequences for the effectiveness of environmental law and protection. Continue reading >>
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Framing and Raiding
In early June 2021, Bulgaria’s Prosecutor’s Office raided the Ministry of Interior and raised charges against a senior employee. According to the Minister of Interior Boyko Rashkov, the goal of the Prosecutor’s Office is to sabotage an inquiry into illegal wiretapping. A similar raid against the Bulgarian Presidency in July 2020 sparked mass protests. Bulgaria’s Prosecutor’s Office has an unrestrained authority that is used as a weapon against the opponents of the status quo. Continue reading >>
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08 June 2021
Für immer dein Feind?
Debatten über Parteiausschlüsse und andere parteiordnungsrechtliche Maßnahmen nehmen zurzeit einen breiten Raum in der öffentlichen Debatte ein. Der konkrete Umgang mit Ausreißern, wie der WerteUnion oder Boris Palmer, könnte für die jeweiligen Parteien mehr Folgen haben, als ihnen bewusst sein dürfte. Continue reading >>07 June 2021
Fighting Platforms and the People, not the Pandemic
To control social media-driven criticism against its handling of the COVID-19 crisis, the Indian government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, can now take advantage of new powers via the Information Technology Rules 2021. These Rules empower the Modi government to counter disinformation, whose definition seems to have been stretched to include content that portrays the government negatively. How Big Tech platforms react will have a domino effect on users’ freedom of expression and right to privacy across the world. Continue reading >>
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04 June 2021
Borderline Games with Bosnia
A ‘non-paper’ sent shockwaves throughout Brussels and the Western Balkans this April, proposing to redraw borders along ethnic lines. It follows a common nationalist narrative, and distracts from necessary reform processes in the region to effectively cater citizens’ needs. In the case of BiH, substantial constitutional changes are needed for the country to become a more stable democracy and eventually an EU member state. Continue reading >>
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03 June 2021
From Denmark to Damascus
In recent weeks, Denmark made international headlines with its refusal to extend residence permits for Syrian subsidiary protection holders in Denmark from the Damascus province. Denmark’s emergence as the first state in Europe to end the protection of Syrians on the basis of improved conditions in the wider Damascus area is the result of a self-described ‘paradigm shift’ in Danish refugee policy dating back to 2015. Continue reading >>
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Eine Konferenz zur Zukunft Europas
Zum diesjährigen Europatag am 9. Mai 2021 wurde von dem Präsidenten des Europäischen Parlaments, dem Präsidenten des Europäischen Rates und der Präsidentin der Europäischen Kommission eine Konferenz zur Zukunft Europas eröffnet. Die Konferenz soll europäischen Bürgern die Möglichkeit zur Mitsprache geben, dabei sollten auch Politiker auf nationaler und europäischer Ebene gestalterisch tätig werden. Continue reading >>
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02 June 2021
Ist zwei Mal wirklich genug?
Nach der CSU und den Grünen hat sich jetzt auch die FDP die Forderung nach einer Amtszeitbegrenzung für Bundeskanzler zu eigen gemacht. Die Forderung nach einer Amtszeitbegrenzung ist populär, aber passt nicht zum Regierungsmodell und zur Praxis parlamentarischer Parteiendemokratien. Continue reading >>The Making and Unmaking of a Constitutional Crisis in Samoa
Politics in the Pacific island state of Samoa rarely attract international attention. Last week, however, Samoa grabbed global headlines as two leaders each claimed the Prime Ministership after a closely contested election. The constitutional issues surrounding this crises are complex and growing in number by the day. Continue reading >>
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Procedural Fetishism and Mass Surveillance under the ECHR
On 25th May 2021, the Grand Chamber of the ECtHR ruled in the case Big Brother Watch v. UK that some aspects of the UK’s surveillance regime violated Articles 8 and 10 of the ECHR. Big Brother Watch is the first decision on mass surveillance since the Snowden revelations and sets a standard, grounded in “procedural fetishism”, which endorses the legality of bulk surveillance operations. Continue reading >>
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A Tale of Primacy
In its 18 May ruling Asociația „Forumul Judecătorilor din România”, the ECJ took a solid stance on the primacy of EU law by recognizing the binding nature of the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism established by the European Commission with respect to Romania in 2007. The judgment is a genuine guide to national courts on applying the primacy of EU law, especially as regards controversial issues such as the judicial independence and rule of law. Continue reading >>
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01 June 2021
India’s New Intermediary Guidelines
On 26 May, the Indian Intermediaries Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code 2021 (IT Rules) took effect. These new rules vest more power over speech online with the executive, who may misuse these powers to quell dissent. Continue reading >>
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An Austrian Abyss of Cronyism and Corruption
The Kurz government has been involved in a series of scandals, culminating on 12 May with the Chancellor becoming subject of a formal investigation for allegedly providing false testimony before Parliament. In attempts to cover up the governments’ involvement in the various scandals, the rule of law has certainly been challenged in Austria. However, so far, the Austrian Rechtsstaat prevailed. Continue reading >>Big Brother’s Little, More Dangerous Brother
On 25 May 2021, the European Court of Human Rights issued judgments in two connected cases: Big Brother Watch v. UK and Centrum för Rättvisa v. Sweden. Both cases involved the review of bulk interception of communications, described by its critics as “mass surveillance”. The Swedish example has attracted less criticism from the ECtHR than the UK, and can be construed as a model law. However, the Swedish legislation is highly opaque and the ECtHR's scrutiny has fallen short. Continue reading >>
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31 May 2021
‘Religiously’ following science
On Wednesday, 26 May Dominic Cummings spoke in a 7-hour-long evidence session in front of the Joint Science and Technology Committee and Health and Social Care Committee of the British House of Commons. He made clear at least three things that are interesting for students of constitutionalism, and, in particular, of the implicit constitutionalism that determines the relationship between scientific expertise and power. Continue reading >>Mehr als nur empfundene Verpflichtung
Mit dem Ende der NATO Mission „Resolute Support“ in Afghanistan ist das Leben afghanische Ortskräfte in akuter Gefahr. Ihr Schutz durch die Bundesrepublik ist nicht nur moralisch geboten, sondern ergibt sich auch aus der Schutpflichtdimension der Grundrechte. Continue reading >>
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Das deutsche Lieferkettengesetz
Das Lieferkettengesetz ist Meilenstein für den Schutz von Mensch und Umwelt in globalen Lieferketten. Auf den internationalen Verhandlungsprozess könnte das Lieferkettengesetz indes nicht nur stimulierend, sondern auch begrenzend wirken, indem es die Offenheit der deutschen Verhandlungsposition einschränkt. Continue reading >>
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30 May 2021
Saving the Constitution from Politics
On May 23, 2021, the Israeli High Court of Justice (HCJ) delivered an important decision setting and defining the limits for the use of Basic Laws – laws of a constitutional ranking – for the purpose of solving temporary political and coalition problems. The Basic Laws are supposed to be “the crown jewels” of our constitutional system, yet in Israeli politics they have become an instrumental tool for narrow and everyday political interest, often amended in a temporary manner. The decision, given by a 6-3 majority of an extended bench, now defines some constitutional boundaries for the proper use of Basic Laws. Continue reading >>
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Good European Neighbours
On 21 May 2021 the Vice-President of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), Ms Rosario Silva de Lapuerta granted interim measures in the case of Czech Republic v Poland, ordering Poland to immediately cease lignite extraction activities in the Turów mine. An action against a Member State which might have breached an EU directive – in this case by extending a lignite mining permit without carrying out an environmental impact assessment – may seem like an ordinary environmental case falling under the remit of EU law. The Czech Republic v Poland case, however, is anything but ordinary for at least two reasons. Continue reading >>
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28 May 2021
Masks, vaccines, and investment promises
When the WHO declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020, the spread of the virus was already under control in China. Ever since Beijing has been engaging in widespread health diplomacy. China aims to promote the image of China as a “responsible great power” and of Western states in as powers in decline that are unable to provide solutions for complex international affairs. Continue reading >>
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Shell’s Responsibility for Climate Change
On 26 May 2021, the District Court of the Hague rendered a judgment in the case Milieudefensie v Royal Dutch Shell that can rightly be called revolutionary. This is the first judgment of its kind in which a multinational corporation is held responsible, in part based on international law, for its contribution to climate change. Continue reading >>
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The Amazon Rainforest under Attack
On 13 May, the Brazilian lower house approved a controversial Bill on Environmental Licensing. The Bill has yet to receive the Senate’s final approval, but it has already attracted much criticism. The actual target of the Bill is thinly veiled: The Amazon region, where it could lead to increasing deforestation. The Bill is just another step in the regressive, anti-environment agenda implemented by the current Brazilian government. Continue reading >>27 May 2021
The Admissibility Hurdle
The entry into force of a new Protocol in August 2021 indicates that the ECtHR will implement even more stringent admissibility criteria which provides the institution with more tools to reject legitimate applications and to hide the political motivation behind such decisions. The European Court of Human Rights has long faced burning criticism for declaring applications inadmissible when faced with prima facie flagrant human rights abuses by autocratic regimes, such as Turkey, putting in question the credibility of the Court which is expected to be a center of legal excellence. Continue reading >>Workers vs Algorithms
On 11 May, Spain passed a new provision that regulates algorithmic transparency in the employment field. This new norm gives workers the right to be informed about the parameters, rules and instructions via which algorithms or artificial intelligence systems impact their working conditions and determine access to employment. The provision, for its novelty, appears to be ambitious, but its potential limitations and practical consequences will determine its success. Continue reading >>
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