Verfassungsblog

Verfassungsblog serves as a platform for journalistic and scholarly discussions about current issues and changes in constitutional law and politics in Germany, as well as the evolving shared European constitutional landscape and beyond.

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Success Without Victory

6 days ago | verfassungsblog.de | Paul C Grimm

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.
A Blow to Our Constitutional System

1 week ago | verfassungsblog.de | Austin Sarat

Supreme Court decisions about so-called independent regulatory agencies such as the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission are seldom barn burners. They are generally too technical and filled with arcane jargon to hold the attention of anybody but the most dedicated court watchers.
Hot Rule of Law Potatoes

1 week ago | verfassungsblog.de | Radosveta Vassileva

Bulgaria’s civil society has much anticipated a key judgment by the CJEU as concerns over the entrenched capture and politicization of the Inspectorate with the Supreme Judicial Council (JI), which is responsible for monitoring the ethical values of all magistrates, continue to cast doubts about judicial independence and accountability in the country.
The German Rule of Law Is Getting Lost in Islamabad

2 weeks ago | verfassungsblog.de | Maximilian Steinbeis

Law and order – what could be more conservative than these two words? Law protects contracts and property. It upholds confidence in the continuity of existing structures. It cements power and serves as an instrument of power. Law must rule under the rule of law, and anyone who believes otherwise cannot justifiably call themselves a conservative.
Der deutsche Rechtsstaat geht in Islamabad verloren

2 weeks ago | verfassungsblog.de | Maximilian Steinbeis

Recht und Ordnung: Was gibt es Konservativeres als diese beiden Worte? Recht schützt Vertrag und Eigentum. Es schützt das Vertrauen in den Bestand der bestehenden Verhältnisse. Es zementiert Macht und ist ein Mittel der Ausübung von Macht. Recht muss herrschen im Rechtsstaat, und niemand, der das anders sieht, kann sich zu Recht als konservativ bezeichnen.
Migration und Asyl im Koalitionsvertrag

1 month ago | verfassungsblog.de | Daniel Thym

Friedrich Merz bekam mehr als gewollt: Aus dem „Fünf-Punkte-Plan“ des Wahlkampfs wurden 17 Einzelvorhaben im Migrationskapitel des Koalitionsvertrags zwischen CDU, CSU und SPD. Doch liefert der künftige Kanzler damit auch die „grundsätzliche Wende“ und den „Stopp der illegalen Migration“, die sein Wahlprogramm vollmundig versprochen hatte? Kurzfristig hängt das davon ab, welches von zwei Szenarien eintritt, wenn künftig Asylbewerber an der Grenze zurückgewiesen werden.
Gaming Procedure, Gutting Due Process

1 month ago | verfassungsblog.de | Michael C. Dorf

Most readers are likely aware of the basic facts of the case of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, the El Salvadoran man who was legally living in Maryland pursuant to a 2019 court order forbidding the government from deporting him to his home country, where, the court found, he would face persecution.
From Backlog to Breakdown

2 months ago | verfassungsblog.de | Joaquin Urías

Albania’s Vetting Commission recently concluded its mandate, marking a pivotal moment in the country’s judicial reform effort. Since 2016, Albania has enacted significant constitutional amendments aimed at comprehensive reforms. These included substantial changes to the governance system of the justice sector, transferring powers from the executive branch to the new judicial council, with a primary focus on combating corruption.
International Law Under Pressure

2 months ago | verfassungsblog.de | Markus Gehring |Tejas Rao

The adage that a leader who ‘saves’ their country cannot break the law—often misattributed to Napoleon—stands in stark contrast to the reality of international legal obligations. Not only can a nation breach international law, but under certain circumstances, such actions may constitute international crimes.
“A Catalyst for European Identity”

2 months ago | verfassungsblog.de | Maximilian Steinbeis |Aurore Gaillet |Eva Maria Bredler

After the Bundesrat, Germany’s second legislative chamber alongside the Bundestag, also approved the constitutional amendments today, the financial package for defence and infrastructure has been passed before the new Bundestag convenes. This remarkable development affects not only national but also core European issues. For a (French) external perspective, we spoke with Aurore Gaillet, Professor of Public Law at the University of Toulouse Capitole. 1.