Corona­resistenz der Versammlungs­freiheit?

Endlich. Erstmals zu Corona-Zeiten hat das Bundesverfassungsgericht zugunsten der Versammlungsfreiheit entschieden. Erstmals hat es, seit durch die Ausgangsbeschränkungen „der massivste kollektive Grundrechtseingrifff in der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik“ ins Werk gesetzt wurde, ein Grundrecht gegenüber einer damit verbundenen Maßnahme zur Geltung gebracht.

Pandemic and Executive Powers in Colombia: A Problem and a Modest Proposal

The way in which the events surrounding the pandemic in Colombia have unfolded, and the measures taken so far by the executive branch have led us, once again, to think about presidential powers: their scope, extent and limits. The first question we ask ourselves is: what kind of powers does the executive branch exercise when it orders measures such as national mandatory self-confinement? Perhaps in the midst of uncertainty and fear it seems natural to us that mayors, governors and ultimately the President have decided to confine us to our homes under threat of a fine if we don’t follow the precise guidelines of the various decrees and administrative acts. But such power and restriction of our freedom is a matter of concern that we must examine closely. We must also pay attention to the institutional mechanisms that are being deployed to deal with the crisis. In the current situation, not only does the what in the decision matter (i.e., mandatory self-confinement measures), but also the who and the how (i.e., whether the decisions are adopted by mayors, governors or the President – and, in the latter case, if the President does it through exceptional or ordinary powers).

Corona Constitutional #10: Risikogebiet Zuhause

Den ganzen Tag lang zusammen eingepfercht auf engem Raum, geschlossene Schulen, Stress und finanzielle Sorgen… Viele Expert*innen befürchten, dass mit der Corona-Krise weltweit häusliche Gewalt zunimmt und insbesondere Frauen akut in Gefahr schweben. Während das malaysische Frauenministerium Frauen in der Ausgangssperre nahelegte, sich zu schminken, um gewalttätige Partner zu besänftigen, richtete Frankreich Notrufstellen in den Apotheken ein. Was der deutsche Staat tut und tun sollte, um Betroffene vor häuslicher Gewalt zu schützen, besprach Marie Detjen mit der Anwältin und Autorin CHRISTINA CLEMM.

Von Theorie und Praxis

Viel ist hier bereits zu lesen gewesen, zu den grundsätzlichen Fragen, welche die gegenwärtige Corona-Gesetzgebungs- und -Verordnungspraxis aufwirft. Den fundierten theoretischen Erwägungen der Kolleg*innen sind aber auch Beobachtungen aus der Praxis zu den mittelbaren Auswirkungen der gegenwärtigen Situation zur Seite zu stellen: Für das Asyl- und Flüchtlingsrecht stellt die derzeitige Situation eine ganz eigene Herausforderung dar.

Is the Constitution Law for the Court Only?

According to Chancellor Kurz, this is not the time for juridical sophistry (juristische Spitzfindigkeiten). At the end of the day, it would be left to the Constitutional Court to decide on the legality of the COVID-19 measures which, when it will hand down a decision, will have been already revoked. These remarks betray a certain outlook on the authority of constitutional law. Putting the matter starkly, it suggests that the constitution is law for the Constitutional Court only.

COVID-19 and Disposable Migrant Workers

Picture this: The world is battling a pandemic, with many countries in lockdown and borders closed. You arrive at a regional airport in northern Romania and wait for hours in the parking lot to board a charter flight. You might end up in Baden-Baden, Berlin or Düsseldorf—it’s hard to know, since no one is telling you what the final destination is. Physical distancing seems not to apply. You are jammed together with 2000 other people waiting to be placed as seasonal workers in the fields of Germany. Asparagus needs to be picked and the new crop need to be planted so the Germans can enjoy uninterrupted production of the spring vegetable through 2020 and 2021.

Mexico: Emergency Powers and COVID-19

As of April 5th, the Federal Health Ministry reported 2,143 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Mexico. International experience suggests that the country is at the cusp of confronting the full effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. This post provides a description of the constitutional and statutory regulation of emergency powers and a brief commentary on the government’s actions thus far. It starts by offering an account of the constitutional provision of emergency powers, noting from the outset a disinclination to the prospect or desirability of their application. Then, it describes the emergency powers to confront a health crisis contained in statutory form. Finally, it evaluates the government’s response to the pandemic.

Corona Constitutional #9: Bildschirm-Justiz

Wie wirkt sich der Lockdown auf die Justiz aus? Wie muss man sich eine Justiz im Lockdown überhaupt vorstellen? Ist das ein Problem, wenn die Exekutive plötzlich die Judikative herunterfährt? Sind digitalisierte Gerichtsverhandlungen möglich, und könnte die Krise insoweit sogar eine Chance sein? Darüber spricht Max Steinbeis mit dem Sprecher des Bundesvorstands der Neuen Richtervereinigung CARSTEN LÖBBERT.

Data crossing borders

The cross-border sharing of personal data to combat coronavirus raises questions under the EU General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 (the GDPR) - two of which will be dealt with here. The first question is whether EU data protection law is flexible enough to allow the international sharing of personal data to fight the pandemic. Secondly, data protection law has traditionally been shaped by pivotal events in history (think of the effect that the reaction to the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 had on data protection law), and one can ask what implications the crisis will have on the future development of data transfer regulation.