Bullying Universities

David Pozen at Columbia University calls Columbia University’s new agreement with the federal government “regulation by deal.” In regulation by deal, the administration foregoes the process of developing general standards to be enforced by regularized processes, all under the watchful eyes of courts, and instead bargains directly with each institution to be regulated, striking a bespoke arrangement with each. It’s a strategy that uses the power of the government outside the development of general rules and therefore outside the law.   

28. Juli 2025

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Can The EU Levy Its Own Taxes?

The budgetary dance in the EU budgetary cycle always starts early and seems to follow similar patterns: the heads of state assess their positions, the press then divides them into camps (usually a frugal and an expansionist one), and the European Commission proposes measures that would expand the Union's budgetary autonomy. With the announcement of a new “Corporate Resource for Europe” (“CORE”), the Commission has relaunched an age-old debate: can the Union levy its own taxes, and if so, on what legal basis?

28. Juli 2025

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International Rulings and the UK–Mauritius Chagos Agreement

On 22 May 2025, following negotiations that began in November 2022 and a joint statement of 3 October 2024 (to learn more, see Sebastian von Massow), the United Kingdom and Mauritius concluded an Agreement, stating that “Mauritius is sovereign over the Chagos Archipelago in its entirety, including Diego Garcia” (Article 1). The Chagos Agreement is not only a diplomatic achievement, but also a “contractual transposition” of the decisions of international courts and tribunals.

27. Juli 2025

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A Single Paragraph’s Promise

One topic in the ICJ's advisory opinion on climate change has unfortunately garnered little attention: climate-induced displacement. The ICJ dedicates just one single, 105-word paragraph to this pressing issue. Still, this one seemingly modest paragraph may have profound implications for millions of people fleeing across borders due to climate change, potentially reshaping the legal landscape for those seeking protection and at least offering minimum guarantees against their removal to a place where they would be at risk.

26. Juli 2025

Pullbacks in the Channel

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Last week, negotiations for a new UK–France agreement culminated in the announcement of a 'one in, one out' pilot scheme, under which the UK will return small boat arrivals to France while accepting asylum seekers selected from France who can demonstrate family ties in Britain. The agreement signals a sui generis evolution in European migration control. For the first time, rather than pushing asylum seekers back to third countries to avoid legal responsibilities under EU and international law, an EU Member State is directly preventing departures from its own territory. 

25. Juli 2025

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Enhanced Due Diligence

The IACtHR establishes that States have a series of obligations to ensure a healthy environment and climate, and prevent violations of human rights. To this end, the IACtHR develops the standard of enhanced due diligence as a binding framework for State action. This standard includes elements aimed at ensuring that the response to climate change is effective, fair, transparent, and evidence-based (para. 224). This blog post discusses the heightened due diligence standard, as clarified by the IACtHR, and outlines nine key elements of this standard.

25. Juli 2025

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Auf Kosten des Rechtsstaates

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Erst im Februar 2024 trat § 62d AufenthG in Kraft. Dieser regelte erstmals, dass im Zuge der Anordnung von Abschiebungshaft eine anwaltliche Vertretung verpflichtend ist. Nur knapp 18 Monate später soll er nach dem Willen der Bundesregierung bereits wieder abgeschafft werden. Die Begründung des Gesetzesentwurfes verkennt dabei den Normzweck der ursprünglichen Regelung. Freiheitsrechte und Rechtsstaatlichkeit dürfen nicht dem politischen Ziel schnellerer Abschiebungen untergeordnet werden.

25. Juli 2025

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Weg frei für »Berlin autofrei«

Nach dem Erfolg von „Deutsche Wohnen enteignen“ dürfte Berlin bald über das nächste Volksbegehren abstimmen, das die Stadt lebenswerter machen soll: „Berlin autofrei“ will den individuellen Kfz-Verkehr innerhalb des S-Bahn-Rings weitgehend verbieten. Nachdem die Senatsverwaltung das Volksbegehren zunächst gestoppt hatte, hält der VerfGH Berlin es nun für vollumfänglich zulässig. Der Gerichtshof erkennt an, dass es zwar kein „Grundrecht auf Autofahren“ gibt, doch besondere Mobilitätsbedürfnisse durchaus grundrechtlichen Schutz genießen. Dies hätte er allerdings bruchloser argumentieren können, wenn er die Eingriffsqualität anerkannt hätte.

25. Juli 2025

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