Solving the Copenhagen Dilemma
By proclaiming an entirely new ‘non-regression’ principle in EU law based on the connection between Articles 49 TEU (EU Enlargement) and 2 TEU (EU values, referred to from Art. 49), the Court of Justice achieved huge progress in addressing a well-known lacuna undermining the EU legal order. The ‘non-regression’ principle is a new important direction in the notable fight for the EU rule of law started with the discovery of EU competence in, in particular, the area of judicial independence and the organization of the judiciaries in the EU Member States.
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If the Message Doesn’t Suit, Shoot the Messenger
The attack on Dimitry Kochenov for being involved in "passport trade" raise a question of academic freedom: When do an academic’s views or actions put them beyond the pale?
Continue reading >>Covid-19 – the Maltese Response: Slow at First but Steady and Effective
Notwithstanding some initial hesitation, the way in which the Maltese health authorities have so far handled the emergency has been well received by the general public. Measures were introduced gradually, with daily press conferences explaining the reason for each new measure or variation thereof, whilst providing statistics on the number of daily swabs, patients infected, patients recovered, and fatalities.
Continue reading >>A Captured State
The need for a rapid EU response in the rule of law crisis in Malta is evident: Every aspect of Daphne Caruana Galizia’s assassination case is susceptible to political interference from the Office of the Prime Minister. The police force is politically controlled, the magistrate is politically appointed, any pardons which may be granted to extract further information are within the gift of the Prime Minister, as are the chief prosecutors’ career prospects. The question of judicial independence, acute as it is, is just the tip of a rather large iceberg.
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Is a Microstate about to Provide EU Rule of Law with its Van Gend Moment?
In fifteen years of EU membership, Maltese courts have been remarkably reluctant to refer questions of interpretation to the CJEU. This could be about to change in litigation which could have far-reaching consequences for the direct effect of member states’ rule of law and human rights obligations. The dispute raises important, novel questions concerning the extent to which EU law of a classical constitutional nature could be democratised in much the same manner as the law of the internal market was democratised through Van Gend.
Continue reading >>Optionen für die dritte Option – Fortschrittliche Regelungsmodelle anderer Länder
Der am 08.11.2017 veröffentlichte Beschluss des Bundesverfassungsgerichts enthält eine Deadline, die es in sich hat. Bis zum 31.12.2018 muss die Legislative eine verfassungsgemäße Lösung finden, mit der die angegriffenen Regelungen des Personenstandsgesetzes ersetzt werden. Der Beschluss nennt zwei mögliche Lösungswege: die Schaffung einer dritten Option und den generellen Verzicht auf einen personenstandrechtlichen Geschlechtseintrag. Beide Lösungswege bedeuten Neuland für die rechtliche Geschlechterordnung, allerdings nur für Deutschland. Wer ins Ausland blickt, stellt fest: Andere Länder haben längst innovative Regelungsmodelle gefunden.
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