Leaping the Atlantic?
Eva Herzog opens the blog symposium by introducing the US-American LPE movement’s main thesis. She calls for thorough contextualization in German and European economic, social and cultural history.
Articles for category: AAA General
Constitutionalizing the Political Economy?
Is constitutionalization a process that Law and Political Economy should strive for? So far, this debate has mainly been conducted in the US context. There, promoting a version of popular constitutionalism based on an egalitarian economic vision is clearly an “uphill battle.” But what about Europe and Germany? Is constitutionalism here a way of transforming LPE’s critical perspective into a positive agenda?
Thinking Outside the (Ballot) Box
The Election Commission of Sri Lanka is riding a wave of praise after completing a peaceful presidential election on 21st September 2024. Less than a month before, however, the commission was found responsible for a breach of fundamental rights for its failure to conduct local government elections scheduled for 2023. This blogpost argues that the landmark decision sends a strong signal to all guarantor institutions in Sri Lanka to maintain their independence and to use their powers to discharge their functions.
Lore Maria Peschel-Gutzeit
Lore Maria Peschel-Gutzeit was a judge, lawyer and Senator of Justice in Hamburg and Berlin. She fought for the introduction of part-time work and family leave for female civil servants, which was introduced in 1968 and has since become known as "Lex Peschel".
Whose Consent?
On 4 October 2024 the Grand Chamber of the Court of Justice upheld the General Court’s decision to annul two economic agreements concluded between the European Union and the Kingdom of Morocco. This judgment is a landmark for the CJEU in its application of international law. The Grand Chamber is navigating a difficult path; it seeks to ensure EU agreements comply with international law and respect the rights of the people of Western Sahara while seeking to maintain economic relations between the EU and Morocco.
»Im Grunde war das eine für österreichische Verhältnisse ganz normale Wahl«
Fünf Fragen an Laurenz Ennser-Jedenastik.
»This was a completely normal election by Austrian standards«
Five Questions to Laurenz Ennser-Jedenastik.
Mutterschutz nach Fehlgeburt
Das BVerfG hat mit Beschluss vom 21. August 2024 die Verfassungsbeschwerde mehrerer Frauen, die eine Fehlgeburt nach der 12., aber vor der 24. Schwangerschaftswoche erlitten haben, nicht zur Entscheidung angenommen. Damit ließ das BVerfG die zentrale materiell-rechtliche Frage offen, ob das MuSchG Frauen nach einer Fehlgeburt von Verfassungs wegen schützen muss. Der folgende Beitrag geht dieser Frage nach und kommt zu dem Ergebnis, dass die aktuelle Schutzfristregelung aus § 3 Abs. 2 bis 4 MuSchG gegen Art. 3 Abs. 1 GG i.V.m. Art. 6 Abs. 4 GG verstößt. Zwar ist eine verfassungskonforme Auslegung möglich. Gleichwohl sollte der Gesetzgeber den Mutterschutz nach Fehlgeburt ausdrücklich regeln, um Betroffene effektiv zu schützen.
Democracy’s Guardians
In its Resolution 1/24, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights recognizes electoral observers as human rights defenders. By equating observers with human rights defenders, the Resolution obliges States to guarantee their work, including non-interference, accreditation, and protection against risks, both in physical and digital realms. Setting out clear state obligations, the Resolution marks a significant step forward for democracy and human rights.
Sex Work Can’t Buy Human Rights
In a recent decision on the merits in M.A. and Others v. France, the ECtHR held that French legislation criminalizing the purchase of sexual acts did not violate the rights of 261 sex workers. The decision retreats into the Court’s traditional interpretative toolbox of European consensus and (procedural) margin of appreciation. I argue that the ECtHR decision does not only demonstrate blindness towards the rising sensitivity towards intersectional grounds of discrimination in human rights law but also contradicts recent proposals on “a human rights-based approach to sex work” promoted by several UN organs and the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights.
