The Grand Chamber ruled that Caster Semenya did not benefit from a fair hearing contrary to Article 6(1) European Convention on Human Rights. However, it did not extend Switzerland’s jurisdiction to her substantive complaints under Article 8 ECHR, taken alone or in conjunction with Article 14 ECHR, which go to the heart of her case. Although the GC was up against it in the current stormy political landscape of sex and gender, it could have gone further to protect fundamental rights.| Verfassungsblog
On July 3, 2025, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR) published its long-awaited Advisory Opinion 32/25 (AO-32/25). The Opinion responds to a 2023 request from Colombia and Chile, asking the IACtHR to clarify the scope of States’ obligations to address the climate emergency under international human rights law. While the decision marks a significant step toward recognizing the climate crisis as a human rights issue, this blog post aims to shed light on a critical omission in th...| Verfassungsblog
It appears that whenever expert civil society organizations release a legal analysis of draft laws that restrict fundamental rights and freedoms, authoritarian governments learn from their mistakes and avoid them in the next round. One could witness such a situation when the Foreign Agents Registration Bill was introduced in the Slovak parliament last spring, and the public watchdog and advocacy organization VIA IURIS tried to stand against this legislation. In one year, the Slovak parliament...| Verfassungsblog
Hungary appears to be assuming the role of a Trojan horse in the European Union, advancing the interests of foreign powers. Of particular concern is Hungary’s conduct in the field of the Common Foreign and Security Policy, especially in light of its obstruction of EU sanctions against Russia. Thus far, the EU’s conventional instruments have proven insufficient in curbing Hungary’s veto strategy. For this reason, I propose a path that is both legally feasible and politically realistic: a...| Verfassungsblog
Resolving some legal issues requires drawing a line through a gray area. Others can be resolved without having to draw a line, in recognition of an old insight: that there is a dawn and a dusk does not mean there is no noon or no midnight. Whether the President had power under the Constitution to attack Iran without congressional approval is an issue that falls in the latter category, within the Constitution’s midnight: wherever a line might be drawn in harder cases, this is not one of them.| Verfassungsblog
On 2 May 2025, the Pan African Lawyers Union – in collaboration with the African Climate Platform, the Environmental Lawyers Collective for Africa, Natural Justice, and resilient40 – submitted a request to the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights for an advisory opinion on States’ obligations in relation to climate change. As the climate crisis intensifies across the continent, exacerbating inequality, displacing communities, and threatening ecological systems, the need for prin...| Verfassungsblog
The forced resignation of James Ryan from the presidency of the University of Virginia by pressure from a politically motivated U.S. Department of Justice, abetted by his opponents within the school, deals a dangerous blow to institutional academic freedom both at UVA and at every public university. Of course, universities must abide by federal civil rights laws as interpreted by courts. But Ryan’s antagonists pursue a radical reorientation of higher education away from most forms of increa...| Verfassungsblog
Een uitgebreid overzicht en helpend document voor familie, vrienden en zeker ouders, om goed geïnformeerde consent te ondersteunen, kwam van de week online bij Genspect.org Het bericht Gender Dysphoria Support Tool verscheen eerst op Voorzij.| Voorzij
On March 19, 2025, police arrested Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu on corruption and terrorism charges. Four days later, on March 23, a judge ordered him to prison pending trial. İmamoğlu is not only the mayor of Istanbul, a position he has held by repeatedly defeating Erdoğan-backed candidates, but also widely regarded as the opposition’s most prominent and promising candidate to challenge Erdoğan in a presidential election. That is why the lawfare waged against him, culminating in his...| Verfassungsblog
The European Commission’s Joint White Paper on European Defence, together with the ReArm Europe Plan; now “quietly rebranded” as “Readiness 2030”, signals a transformative moment in the European Union’s approach to security. Nevertheless, this strategic shift remains limited to short-term measures, as more permanent frameworks are constrained by lack of political will and institutional obstacles. If not addressed, this will perpetuate a short-term vision that is not capable of add...| Verfassungsblog
The sale of Union citizenship, which is at the heart of the case against Malta currently pending before the ECJ, has been the subject of feverish writing. With the Court’s judgment nearing, this short blogpost will, however, not opine on what the judgment should be. Instead, it considers the potential effects of a judgment that endorses the (ill-conceived) Opinion of AG Collins that Malta’s nationality by investment scheme does not conflict with EU law.| Verfassungsblog
The arrest and transfer of Rodrigo Duterte to the ICC was certainly good news for the heavily beleaguered Court. But the price of getting Duterte could be considerable. The manifest entanglement with Philippine politics is likely to harden Southeast Asian skepticism towards international criminal justice. Existing fears of external politicization are enhanced with a scenario of internal political turmoil, reinforcing Southeast Asian hesitation toward the ICC.| Verfassungsblog
President Donald Trump’s recent speech to the Department of Justice was meant as a declaration of war against lawyers. His words made clear that the most effective way to consolidate autocracy is by systematically dismantling the independent centers of power that support a healthy democracy, including the independent public prosecutor. As the Executive Orders targeting law firms underscore: the entire legal profession is next. This is no coincidence.| Verfassungsblog
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. The results of these reforms are now obvious, with notable improvements in the judiciary’s anti-corruption efforts. However, the process itself and some interim decisions have had a detrimental effect on the efficiency of the judicial system, that is now threate...| Verfassungsblog
As the EU steps up its efforts to fund the defence of Europe, Hungary sticks to its policy of undermining those efforts whenever it can. Given that a Member State cannot be expelled from the EU, the Member States should simultaneously withdraw from the EU Treaties under Article 50 TEU and concurrently sign up to new EU Treaties without Hungary. Only this way could the EU effectively stand up to Russia, introduce important Treaty changes, and finally overcome tolerating Putin’s allies withi...| Verfassungsblog
Crisis rhetoric has become pervasive in the United States and Israel, although much of it is a hyperbolic response to the polarization currently dominating these nations’ politics. What seems clearer to us is that a process is underway in both countries that may very well culminate in a constitutional revolution. Such a development might or might not be deemed crisis-worthy, but it would mean that something profoundly significant had changed in the way the business of governing is conducted...| Verfassungsblog
Advocate General Tamara Ćapeta recently concluded that Denmark’s so-called Ghetto Law constitutes direct discrimination based on ethnic origin and hence a violation of the Race Equality Directive. This blog highlights the harmful role of the integration narrative underlying the law and other coercive measures addressed towards “non-Western” Danes and non-Danes and the broader implications of the present case for challenging stereotypes embedded in integration policies and practices.| Verfassungsblog
In a case that has received global attention and reproach, Mahmoud Khalil, a lawful permanent resident of the United States and recent graduate of Columbia University (another target of the Trump administration’s ire), was arrested on 8 March by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in front of his apartment in New York and subsequently transferred to a detention facility in Louisiana. In this blog post, my aim is to show that the case of Mr. Khalil implicates perhaps the most sacrosa...| Verfassungsblog
In this blog post, we document and analyse the numerous apparent breaches of international law that have occurred within the first six weeks of the 2025 Trump administration. What began as an informal discussion at the Lauterpacht Centre for International Law has evolved into this analytical overview. We believe this documentation serves both academic purposes and potentially supports future legal proceedings. While defenders of these actions will undoubtedly offer justifications for what we ...| Verfassungsblog
The Fair Rubber Association is pleased to announce that Version 3.3 of the Fair Rubber Standard is now effective as of January 2025. A key update in this version is the introduction of a critical criterion on deforestation, developed through an inclusive consultation process. Criterion 3.4.9, based on feedback from the stakeholder consultation round in […]| FAIR RUBBER
At the European Union’s external borders, migrants are being instrumentalized in geopolitical conflicts, as seen in cases before the European Court of Human Rights concerning pushbacks at the EU-Belarus border. Poland, Latvia, and Lithuania justify these measures as responses to a “hybrid war,” while critics warn against eroding non-refoulement protections. The Court’s ruling will be crucial in defining the balance between state security and human rights.| Verfassungsblog
Looking for the latest updates on our projects, members, suppliers, and trends in the rubber industry? Follow us on LinkedIn to stay informed about our ongoing initiatives, industry news, and the sustainable practices shaping the future of rubber production. Join the conversation and stay connected with us as we work towards a more sustainable and […] The post Stay Updated: Follow Us on LinkedIn appeared first on FAIR RUBBER.| FAIR RUBBER
We are excited to share an important update from our project in Lebak Bante which highlights the positive impact of agroforestry and sustainable practices in the rubber sector. Just eight months ago, we partnered with our Fair Rubber supplier to plant 7,500 rubber tree seedlings – and the results have been impressive. The trees have […] The post Sustainability in Action: Eight Months of Rubber Tree Growth with our Fair Rubber Supplier Partner in Indonesia appeared first on FAIR RUBBER.| FAIR RUBBER
Nina Granerød, one of the founders behind the Scandinavian flip-flop brand Sleepers, reports in our interview how the idea for a sustainable flip-flop from Norway came about. Since 2019, Sleepers are on the market with the Fair Rubber logo, and more than 100 000 pairs have been sold globally. As Norwegians, how did you come […] The post Flip-flops from Norway?! appeared first on FAIR RUBBER.| FAIR RUBBER
The European Union has just adopted the Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), thereby leaping towards deforestation-free supply chains for EU manufacturers and traders and tackling this large driver of climate change and biodiversity loss. As tropical deforestation is mainly caused by the expansion of agricultural land, the regulation will strive to effectively ban rubber and rubber derivatives […] The post EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) – Implications on the Rubber Sector appeared first o...| FAIR RUBBER
Natural rubber trees (Hevea brasiliensis) are, of course, best known for the production of latex milk, which is turned into anything from bottle teats to airplane tires. At the end of their productive life, usually after about 35 years, the trees are cut down and their wood is used for furniture or other wooden items. […]| FAIR RUBBER
Over the last days, England and Northern Ireland have witnessed a wave of racist violence and destruction. These riots, which have thrown the country into chaos, included attacks on mosques, burning of cars, and confrontations with the police. The racist nature of the events is made clear by the racist chants that are sung amid them, by posters shown by participants, and by the selective targeting of minorities. Given how shocking these scenes are, one naturally wonders what is causing them. ...| Verfassungsblog
