05 October 2020
The Paths of European Legal Scholarship
Armin von Bogdandy’s article entitled “German Legal Hegemony?” is an invitation to reflect on the paths of European legal scholarship: what are the conditions of the different national legal cultures today, and what are the conditions under which a national legal culture can become hegemonic (or, on the contrary, is it possible for a common tradition to prevail)? Continue reading >>
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German Legal Hegemony?
The German legal discourse on Europe solemnly professes the idea of a Europeanized Germany: Kooperation, Verfassungsgerichtsverbund, Europafreundlichkeit, Integrationsverantwortung. However, some cast doubt on these assertions. Continue reading >>04 October 2020
Rechtsreferendarin in der Berliner Provinz
In Berlin ist erneut ein Streit über das Kopftuch im Referendardienst entbrannt. Der Präsident des Kammergerichts hat eine Dienstanweisung bekannt gegeben, wonach Rechtsreferendarinnen mit Kopftuch künftig die Anklageverlesung und Sitzungsvertretung übernehmen dürfen, wenn eine Ausbildungsperson sichtbar zugegen ist. Der Hauptrichter- und Staatsanwaltsrat des Landes Berlin meint, dies ohne Weisung des Justizministers für die Staatsanwaltschaften nicht beachten zu müssen. Der Erlass sei zudem verfassungswidrig. Die Abwehrreflexe hängen erkennbar mit Mentalitäten zusammen, die schon das aggressive „Neutralitätsgesetz“ prägten. Ferment dieser Regelung ist eine Melange aus anti-religiösen Ressentiments und einem muffigen Provinzialismus spezifisch Berliner Provenienz. Continue reading >>02 October 2020
Too Little, Too Late
On 30 September, the European Commission has finally presented its long-awaited first edition of the new Annual Rule of Law Report, assessing the situation of the rule of law in all member states. In cases like Hungary and Poland, where the rule of law and democracy have been deliberately dismantled over the years, this monitoring approach, however, will hardly help. The report is unfortunately too little, too late. Instead, the EU needs to strengthen its enforcement capacity by linking breaches of the rule of law with actual sanctions. Continue reading >>The Global Politics of Refugee Protection and Return
Voluntary, safe and dignified return is one of the durable solutions to forced displacement and, thus, hosting states have the responsibility to provide international protection to refugees until the conditions for voluntary repatriation are met. Premature or forced return that is falling short of international standards would mean a violation of the principle of non-refoulement. Current global governance of forced displacement impeding seeking asylum, delaying resettlement, and facilitating return ends up violating the very founding principles of the international refugee regime while exposing refugees and asylum-seekers to violence and higher risks. Continue reading >>
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01 October 2020
The Burden of Being “Safe”
Cooperation on migration management has been recently characterised by a process of “informalisation”, most prominently in relation to readmission, which saw the proliferation of informal agreements of a dubious legal nature – particularly from a rule of law perspective. This expansion has been two-fold. First, the use of informal agreements has expanded from the national level to the EU level. Second, the informalisation of cooperation with third countries has extended to include not only migration and border management, but also asylum management. This post aims to analyse both expansive shifts, highlighting their impact on international responsibility sharing mechanisms and the protection of asylum seekers’ fundamental rights. Continue reading >>
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Frequent Recourse to the Principle of ‘Effectiveness’ in ECJ Asylum Jurisprudence
An empirical study of all asylum-related preliminary rulings reveals a disquieting trend: the Court has adopted an administrative, passivist role within the area. Its distinguishing features include an overzealous concern for the technicalities of the legislative instruments before it and sparse to no references to human rights instruments or values in the operative parts of the judgments. In light of the symbolic power carried by the Court’s language, this trend risks sending the wrong signal to national judicial instances; namely, that concerns for the system can legitimately trump concerns for the individuals caught in it. Continue reading >>
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Today Tuleya, Tomorrow the EU
Igor Tuleya is someone you should know. He is your judge, wherever you live in the EU. More specifically, he is a judge at the District Court in Warsaw. Next Monday, on October 5th 2020, he may lose his judicial immunity as a result of a hearing before the “Disciplinary Chamber” of the Polish Supreme Court. If this happens, he will likely face subsequent criminal charges, and, as a consequence, a very real risk of imprisonment. If this happens, it will affect every independent and impartial judge in Poland. If this happens, it will affect every EU citizen too. Continue reading >>
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30 September 2020
Ethnische Bedenken
Rassismus-Studien bei der Polizei hatte Horst Seehofer zunächst strikt abgelehnt. Doch dann kündigte er am 20.09.2020 in der „Bild am Sonntag“ eine breit angelegte Rassismus-Studie für die gesamte Gesellschaft an. Über die Gründe für Seehofers Meinungsänderung ist bisher ebenso wenig bekannt wie über den genauen Umfang und die Methodik der geplanten Studie. Genau das ist aber das Entscheidende – die Methodik. Eine weitere Studie zur Verbreitung von Rassismus und Ausländerfeindlichkeit in der deutschen Gesamtbevölkerung hätte keinen Mehrwert. Was es braucht, ist eine Studie, die Auskunft darüber gibt, wie die von Rassismus Betroffenen selbst ihre Situation bewerten. Continue reading >>What Happened at the Greece-Turkey Border in early 2020?
Reports have documented allegations about those in need of international protection being physically prevented from entering into Greece, being subjected to severe forms of mistreatment and deprivation of their liberty, property as well as being collectively expelled from the country without having the opportunity to apply for asylum. Thus, it could be argued there are violations of the right to seek and enjoy asylum, right to life, prohibition of torture, right to liberty and security and right to an effective remedy. Yet this blog will only focus on the most relevant rights/issues. Continue reading >>
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A ‘Complete’ System of Legal Remedies?
In practice, Member States and the EU increasingly rely on informal instruments for cooperation with third countries, especially in the area of migration control, with important implications for the rule of law. The choice for informality becomes particularly problematic when it affects the legal situation of irregular migrants, including refugees because it makes it very difficult for them to challenge these instruments in front of EU courts. This blog post explores the effects of EU’s recourse to informality on the judicial protection of the rights of irregular migrants by using the EU-Turkey Statement as an example. The Statement, also known as the EU-Turkey ‘deal’, raises serious doubts as to whether the EU legal order indeed provides for the promised ‘complete’ system of legal remedies. Continue reading >>
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29 September 2020
No Doubt, Lots of Benefit
The Hungarian government demanded the dismissal of Commissioner Vera Jourová over a quip she made in an interview in the German press. The day before the Commission’s first annual report on the rule of law is scheduled to land, the EU finds itself steeped in a high level inter-institutional conflict — sown by a self-proclaimed illiberal democrat. This is what being stranded by one’s own self-deception looks like. Continue reading >>
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The “Contamination” of EU Law by Informalization?
The examples in this post demonstrate that the EU is an autonomous international actor independent from its Member States, but it is tied up internally by its institutional procedures and restrained by its attributed powers. This governance system requires complex and time-consuming negotiations within the Union and with its international partners, which might end up in Court (Singapore, CETA Opinions) or delay ratification (Istanbul Convention). The EU’s painful practice concerning treaty-making (with complicated rules, extensive case law and long negotiations of often comprehensive mixed agreements) is clearly not fit for purpose in times of crisis. Continue reading >>
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Parallel Paths that Need to Cross?
The questions raised by the use of soft deals - and soft law more generally - in the Area of Freedom Security and Justice (‘AFSJ’) are numerous and complex. This post focusses on the justification behind the use of soft deals in the field of readmission, in order to develop two reflections: First, in a legal system founded on the rule of law, recourse to soft deals to elude constitutional constraints is questionable tout court. And secondly, if certain constitutional constraints can arguably be side-lined through the use of soft deals, in the name of flexibility and speed, others must necessarily remain operative and frame the conduct of EU institutions. In the author’s view, at least those Treaty principles that govern EU institutional action independently on the legally binding nature of its outcome remain relevant. Among these, a prominent role in framing the use of soft deals can be attributed to the principle of institutional balance, enshrined in Art. 13(2) TEU. Continue reading >>
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28 September 2020
What did Amy Coney Barrett say?
Very soon Trump’s new pick for the US Supreme Court will be grilled by Democratic senators about her conservative views on abortion and the Affordable Care Act. They are rightly worried that her appointment will put in place a 6-3 majority of rightwing judges on the Court, especially in the wake of Trump’s explicit disappointment at the fact that even his picks have on a couple of occasions voted against positions he favoured. What assurance does he think he has that this pick will be more compliant, a ‘loyal’ ‘Trump judge’? In February, Justice Barrett gave a comment at an event in London. It would be a great pity in the hearings if the senators did not ask what she said. Continue reading >>Hyperlinks, ein urheberrechtliches Minenfeld
Eine zentrale Innovation, die zum Siegeszug des World Wide Web beigetragen hat, ist der Hyperlink, also die Möglichkeit, Internetinhalte durch Querverweise miteinander zu vernetzen. Doch die rechtlichen Vorgaben, die beim Verweis auf externe Medien beachtet werden müssen, werden immer komplizierter. In einem anstehenden Urteil könnte der EuGH erstmals zwischen verschiedenen Verlinkungstechniken differenzieren und diese Komplexität weiter erhöhen, mit potentiell gravierenden Folgen für die Kommunikationsfreiheit. Continue reading >>Continuing Violation
Since the failed coup attempt in 2016, lawyers, judges and prosecutors have persistently been subject to illegal surveillance and mass arrests. The latest such arrest of 50 lawyers took place on September 11th, 2020, during police raids in Ankara in the dawn. Arrests of lawyers have become the new normal although legal professionals should enjoy strong protections by law. Turkey’s Court of Cassation, however, has deprived these guarantees of any practical effectiveness by unlawfully expanding the meaning of in flagrante delicto. Continue reading >>
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Justice Unlimited
The passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her replacement by Judge Amy Coney Barrett has led to a spike in interest in imposing term limits for Supreme Court justices. The proposals now on the table are for doing so by statute because amending the U.S. Constitution is so difficult. They face constitutional and political obstacles, which in combination make their adoption unlikely. Continue reading >>
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Before It’s Too Late
Dear President von der Leyen, in your recent State of the Union address, you rightly emphasized that “breaches of the rule of law cannot be tolerated.” We are sorry to say we are seeing ample evidence to the contrary. Continue reading >>The External Dimension of EU Migration and Asylum Policy
This online symposium is being held just before the ACES-Asser conference on ‘Migration deals and their damaging effects’, which will take place online on 8-9 October. The conference and the contributions in this symposium aim to examine the legal and policy implications of the increased informalisation of the EU’s external action in the field of migration and asylum. The use of informal instruments in EU external relations is nothing new. At the same time, the increasing recourse to such instruments in the past few years has been a growing cause of concern over their potential detrimental effects on the rights of migrants and refugees, the EU’s institutional balance, the rule of law, as well as the global regime for protection of refugees. Continue reading >>
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27 September 2020
Providers Are Watching Us
Die Europäische Kommission hat am 10. September 2020 einen Verordnungsentwurf vorgelegt, der es ermöglichen soll, den sexuellen Missbrauch von Kindern im Netz effektiv zu bekämpfen. Zusammen mit der bereits angekündigten Folgeregelung zeichnet sich in den Plänen der Kommission jedoch ein fundamentaler Angriff auf den europäischen Datenschutz ab. Sie ermöglichen eine weitreichende Überwachung von Nutzer:innen durch die Provider und eine potenziell ausufernde Speicherung von Daten. Die geplanten Maßnahmen werden so die Vertraulichkeit digitaler Kommunikation aushöhlen, indem sie private Verschlüsselungsmaßnahmen beschränken. Continue reading >>
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25 September 2020
Bad Role Models
Over the past several months, there has been an increase in asylum seekers and refugees crossing the English Channel in small inflatable boats. This prompted the UK government to propose stemming arrivals with an Australian-style approach: ‘pushing back’ boats to France before they can reach British territorial waters. The UK already funds France to prevent asylum seekers leaving French territory through ‘pullback’ measures. Such pushback and pullback practices likely violate several international refugee, human rights and law of the sea obligations. Continue reading >>24 September 2020
Mehr Schein als Sein?
In den letzten Jahren wurde viel über die schlechten Lebensstandards auf den griechischen Inseln und die notorische Ineffektivität der Dublin-Verfahren berichtet. Dies nährte die Hoffnung, dass die Veröffentlichung des zuletzt mehrfach verschobenen „neuen“ Migrations- und Asylpakts einen „Neuanfang“ wagt, den die Pressemitteilung der Kommission vollmundig versprach. Ein genauer Blick auf die Gesetzgebungsvorschläge und Empfehlungen zeigt allerdings, dass der wortreich beschworene Neuanfang unvollständig bleibt. Continue reading >>What’s in the Words
It is plain worrisome when judges need to end up at the European Court of Justice on the argument that what they have available at home is no longer a proper court. 22 September 2020 was such a day for two veritable Polish and therefore European judges: Judge Waldemar Żurek and Judge Monika Frąckowiak. More than a legal fight, it is a battle of and for ideas, playing out – literally – in open court. Continue reading >>22 September 2020
Wer bekommt den knappen Covid-19-Impfstoff?
Noch gibt es keinen Impfstoff gegen Covid-19. Auch wenn ein wirksames Mittel gefunden ist, werden längst nicht genug Impfdosen für alle bereitstehen, die sich vor der Krankheit schützen wollen. Jens Spahn hat angekündigt, die Frage, wer bei der Vergabe der Impfstoffe Vorrang haben soll, bis Ende Oktober zu regeln. Grund genug, ein erstes Schlaglicht auf die juristischen Probleme einer solchen Normierung zu werfen. Continue reading >>Reinstating Corruption
Since he was elected in 2014, Indonesia’s President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has incrementally used constitutional and legal mechanisms to undermine democratic values. Last year, on 17 September 2019, the Jokowi administration and the House issued the biggest move to weaken the law enforcement institutions: an amendment to the law of the Anti-Corruption Commission (KPK). The KPK used to be the most trusted law enforcement institution in Indonesia, but the past year has demonstrated clearly that it is no longer able to exercise its authority to effectively prosecute and investigate corruption cases. Continue reading >>21 September 2020
Rechtsbindung durch Staatshaftung
Rechtswidrige Polizeieinsätze – spätestens die Black-Lives-Matter-Bewegung hat dieses Thema auch in Deutschland auf die Tagesordnung gebracht. Die praktischen Möglichkeiten, wirksam dagegen vorzugehen, sind allerdings wenig erfolgversprechend. Die Strafjustiz versagt strukturell, wenn es um Aufarbeitung geht, und der verwaltungsgerichtliche (Eil-)Rechtsschutz gegen die Polizei kommt oft zu spät. Eine zusätzliche Möglichkeit, das Recht effektiv durchzusetzen, liefert das Staatshaftungsrecht. Es kann einen wichtigen Beitrag dazu leisten, die Polizei rechtsstaatlich einzuhegen, wie ein aktuelles Urteil aus Köln zur Entschädigung für polizeiliche Freiheitsentziehung zeigt. Continue reading >>
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20 September 2020
Lawful composition – the EFTA Court’s approach
On 10 September 2020, the British Advocate General at the Court of Justice of the European Union, Eleanor Sharpston, was replaced by the Greek lawyer Athanasios Rantos. Most of the commentators of the incident, which stirred up a great deal of dust, focus on the question whether the termination of Ms. Sharpston’s mandate on 10 September 2020 was lawful. The following considerations, on the other hand, examine the legal situation in the event that her expulsion from the ECJ was after Brexit in line with EU law. A precedent of the EFTA Court in 2016 may be relevant in this context. Continue reading >>18 September 2020
Über Hass schreiben
Ein feministisches Buch und der Versuch eines Regierungsmitarbeiters, dessen Verbreitung zu unterbinden, erregen die Gemüter in Frankreich. Die Rede ist von Misandrie (Männerhass) einerseits und Zensur andererseits. Der Beitrag erläutert die Geschehnisse und fragt, welche Lehren daraus für die Cancel Culture-Debatte (auch) in Deutschland zu ziehen sind. Continue reading >>
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Progress durch Regress
Am 10. September 2020 entschied das VG Köln, dass die ehemalige Oberbürgermeisterin der Stadt Bonn, Bärbel Dieckmann, wegen grob fahrlässiger Verletzung ihrer Dienstpflichten der Stadt Schadenersatz in Höhe von 1 Mio. Euro leisten muss. Der Fall erregt auch deshalb Aufsehen, weil es selten vorkommt, dass Dienstherren versuchen, ihre Beamten in Regress zu nehmen. Der in der Praxis festzustellende zurückhaltende Umgang mit Regressforderungen in der Praxis sollte aber kritisch reflektiert werden, denn als Mittel der Verwaltungskontrolle kann der Regress auf längere Sicht auch das Vertrauen der Bürger in die Verwaltung fördern. Continue reading >>17 September 2020
Fakten und Kultur
Auch wenn man sich noch schwer damit tut, die Formulierung vom „strukturellen Problem“ in den Mund zu nehmen – die Problembeschreibungen offenbaren genau dies: Es ist kein Zufall, dass Rechtsextremismus und Rassismus in der Polizei zu finden sind, sondern es hat gerade auch mit der Struktur dieser Organisation zu tun, mit ihrer Personalauswahl, mit Aufgaben und Tätigkeit der Polizei, mit fehlenden Räumen für Reflexion und Coaching, mit den Formen des Umgangs mit Fehlern und Missständen. Continue reading >>Ashen Sunset
Seven years ago today, Pavlos Fyssas was murdered by members of Greece’s Neonazi party Golden Dawn. It was only then, after the death of an ethnic Greek, that the authorities finally took action against the party and its members, having ignored violent acts against migrants, ethnic minorities, disabled persons, LGBT persons and others committed by party members for several years. On 7 October 2020, five and a half years and 453 hearings after the trial against 69 members of Golden Dawn began, judgment will be finally passed. Continue reading >>
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Lock-Down to Avoid Lock-Up?
Whether and to what extent public demonstrations can legitimately be limited in times of a pandemic is a challenge many countries are facing these days. In Israel, however, the COVID-19 crisis is intertwined with an ongoing political crisis. Citizens take to the street against a government which uses the pandemic as an argument to restrict those very protests. With a second lock-down imminent, is freedom of assembly in danger in Israel? Continue reading >>16 September 2020
A Matter of Faith
The purpose of Brexit, we have been told, is to “take back control”. It should hardly come as a surprise therefore that this involves the reassertion by Parliament of its prerogative to determine the domestic effects (if any) of international agreements within the UK legal system. Wresting this power away from Brussels goes to the very root of Brexit’s raison d’être. Moreover, why have this power if you’re not going to use it? It is in this context that the furore concerning the Internal Market Bill, presented last Wednesday by the Johnson government, should be viewed. Continue reading >>
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Fear and (Self-)Censorship in Academia
Concerns with media freedom in Hungary go back years and they are also used as the case study for the Reverse Solange proposal presented on this blog. The most recent event is the takeover of the largest online news portal, Index, where the entire staff left as a response. A less documented arena is the academic setting we work in and which influences our work and everyday life. In both fields, takeover and blatant censorship is but the tip of the iceberg: the most visible part and indicative of a larger problem. In this post, I describe the problem through illustrative cases and discuss possible responses. Continue reading >>
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15 September 2020
The Crisis of the Organization of American States That is Rocking the Commission on Human Rights
In the last few weeks, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the Organization of American States' General Secretariat have been involved in a rather undiplomatic public confrontation. The core of the dispute is the renewal of the mandate of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights Executive Secretary, who is the employee in charge of leading the technical staff which supports the work of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. At first glance, said determination might seem like a minor issue, but in reality, it could translate into important repercussions for the protection of human rights in the Americas. Furthermore, this standoff sheds light into some chronic problems within the Organization and could be used as an opportunity for its strengthening. Continue reading >>
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That Depends
The controversial debate about Eleanor Sharpston’s position as Advocate General has raised a lot of questions: political as well as legal. Many of the legal questions have not been decided by the Courts, the law is ambiguous, and the circumstances with one Member leaving the European Union are unprecedented. And yet, the Court of Justice treated those questions as if the answers were straightforward and clear-cut. In doing so, the Court seems to have ignored the complexity of the legal questions and thereby undercut the effectiveness of the proceedings for interim measures. Continue reading >>14 September 2020
Am Ende der Kraft
Das Recht hat an Kraft als Argument erheblich eingebüßt, wenn es um den europäischen Flüchtlingsschutz geht. Sicher, noch immer werden in allen Ecken Europas Asylverfahren durchgeführt, Dublin-Zuständigkeiten geprüft, es wird registriert und notiert, aufgelistet und angehört. Doch unterhalb dieses geschäftigen Treibens des täglichen Rechtlichen ziehen sich große Brüche und sie werden größer. Continue reading >>“Anti-Politics” in the Name of the People
The current Chilean Constitution is politically dead; it does no longer provide legitimacy and integrity to the political system. In the constituent process, the government’s constitutional proposals can be interpreted as being part of what has been called Chilean populist moment, characterised not only by a distrust in expert opinion, a rejection of the elite’s privileges, or a challenge on representative democracy, but an explicit “anti-politics” stance in the name of the people. Continue reading >>
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12 September 2020
Die Numerierung der Bürger: Effizienzdenken versus Überwachungsangst
Die Kritik ist Jahrzehnte alt, ihre Wirkung gering: Schon früh haben Bürgerrechtler erkannt, dass die Einführung einer allgemeinen Bürgernummer für Verwaltungszwecke verfassungsrechtlich bedenklich wäre. Nun unternimmt die Bundesregierung wieder einen Versuch, die ganz umfassende Vernetzung der öffentlichen Register zu bewerkstelligen, und weckt damit die alten Ängste vor dem Überwachungsstaat. Der durchorganisierte Verwaltungsstaat, der den Reformern vorschwebt, ist aber nicht nur deswegen so problematisch, weil er die Bürger effektiver kontrollieren könnte, sondern weil die angestrebte perfekte Verwaltung auch ohne eine solche Überwachungsabsicht die Freiheitlichkeit der Gesellschaft gefährden würde. Continue reading >>
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On Coins, Parallel Universes and the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism
The European Commission seems to inhabit a universe which is too distant from the realities of Bulgaria and Romania, which are the only EU members subjected to the CVM. Even worse, it is currently attempting to sweep the CVM under the carpet of oblivion for no good reason, as seen in Commissioner Vera Jourova’s presentation on the mechanism before the LIBE Committee at the European Parliament on 10 September 2020. The Commission is attempting to persuade concerned citizens and Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) that it would continue the monitoring of these countries under the new Rule of Law Mechanism. It insists that this be an argument to terminate the CVM, but is this justified? Continue reading >>11 September 2020
It’s Urgent III
10 September 2020 was a watershed moment for the Court of Justice’s independence: the Court, through its Vice-President, has agreed to dismiss its own sitting member without even notifying her of the appeal against the suspensory order protecting her tenure guaranteed in the EU Treaties. It did so by arguing, effectively, that the Member States could dismiss members of the Court at will, and that such decisions were beyond judicial review: AG Sharpston’s fight for the independence of the Court, according to that very Court through its Vice-President, had ‘prima facie’ ‘no prospect of success’. Continue reading >>Preserve the Ashes of Moria
The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church on the Kurfürstendamm in Berlin has famously left in ruins after its bombing during World War II. If Moria too is left destroyed, it will at least provide the semblance of such a memorial for catastrophe. Unlike with the church, this will not be due to a grand political choice and a historical victory, but will nevertheless serve as a reminder, for those of us who look for it, of a torturous bureaucracy and a large revolt against it. Continue reading >>
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10 September 2020
In the Name of Peace and Integrity?
Last Tuesday, something rare took place in Westminster. The UK Government officially announced its intention to breach the Withdrawal Agreement that it had signed and ratified a few months ago. Prime Minister Boris Johnson valiantly defended the draft by declaring that such breach is necessary in order ‘to uphold the integrity of the UK, but also to protect the Northern Irish peace process and the Good Friday agreement.’ Is that really so? Continue reading >>
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Pop Up oder Pop Down
Rund 25 Kilometer Pop-Up-Radwege hat der Berliner Senat seit der Corona-Krise auf besonders befahrenen Straßenabschnitten eingerichtet. Ein Beschluss des Verwaltungsgerichts Berlin vom 4. September 2020 könnte nun das Ende für das Prestigeobjekt der Berliner Verkehrspolitik bedeuten. Doch so einfach ist es nicht. Was der Berliner Senat aus dem Beschluss für die Zukunft lernen sollte, wo die rechtlichen Hürden beim Einrichten eines Fahrradwegs liegen und wie die bestehenden Pop-Up-Radwege vielleicht doch noch gerettet werden können, zeigt ein Blick in die Begründung. Continue reading >>Kooperation statt Kräftemessen
Der Untersuchungsausschuss zur Tötung des Kasseler Regierungspräsidenten Walter Lübcke droht mit einer Klage gegen das Oberlandesgericht Frankfurt. Grund dafür ist, dass das Gericht und der Generalbundesanwalt sich weigern, die Akten zum Fall herauszugeben. In diesem Konflikt zwischen parlamentarischem Untersuchungsrecht und dem Recht des Angeklagten auf ein faires, rasches Verfahren, sollten beide Seiten auf ein Kräftemessen verzichten und stattdessen miteinander kooperieren. Continue reading >>
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09 September 2020
Why Robert Spano should resign as President of the ECtHR
On 3-5 September 2020, the ECtHR’s new president Robert Spano paid an official visit to Turkey. Spano’s visit is scandalous for multiple reasons and has caused serious damage to the reputation of the ECtHR that warrants his resignation. Continue reading >>Violation of Freedoms and Judges in Turkey
Sometimes the voice of the president, who cannot be silenced, is one of the few that resound freely to recall the principles and values that are assumed to be typical of Europe. Holding a lecture at one of the Istanbul universities that offered him an honorary degree, the President of the European Court Robert Spano began by saying that he accepted that honour not only because it was a protocol moment, never refused in any member state of the Council of Europe, but also because the ceremony gave him the opportunity to underline the importance of academic freedom and freedom of expression in a democracy governed by the rule of law. Continue reading >>The Symbolic Downfall of the ECtHR in Turkish Public Opinion
The European Court of Human Rights was considered to be very important in Turkey, mostly because it was perceived as the last resort for the frequent injustices within that State. Continue reading >>
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