Latest blog articles

  • Only a short drive from Maastricht, border stones still mark the borders of Neutral Moresnet, a small condominium that was the result of a very peculiar round of border negotiations and for over a hundred years was a tax haven, a gambling paradise and a would-be Esperanto state.

    by:
    in Law
  • Throughout the EU, the rights of asylum seekers come under pressure. Overdue policy changes remain stuck in negotiations because of lacking political will. It is up to the European Commission to step up and protect the fundamental rights of asylum seekers.

    by:
    in Law
  • An important part of becoming a fully-fledged academic is the development and curation of a research line. A research line is the main research topic and the thread throughout (large parts of) a career. It could be law and technology in private law, globalisation in public law, human rights in...

  • It is always exciting to await a final decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union. The judgement in C-619/18, Art. 258 TFEU infringement case against Republic of Poland, is even more of a case in point, given its relevance for the European Union values and the mechanisms designed to hold...

  • The Polish turn away from democracy, named by Sadurski as anti-constitutional populist backsliding, has taken on a new dramatic and bold turn involving the active use of the available tools by the judges to question and address the rule of law problems in Poland. The judges seem to be fighting back...

  • Playing cards

    Thou shalt not cheat!

    Every once in a while, I have the good fortune of reading a court case which is both fun and educational. The UK Supreme Court case Ivey (Appellant) v Genting Casinos (UK) Ltd t/a Crockfords (Respondent) is one such case, which tells an interesting story, while also explaining to the public the...

    by: in Law
  • The biggest challenge of the 21st century is undoubtedly the question of how to tackle the effects of a rising population, expanding industrialisation and growing environmental degradation. Apart from an ever complex world, there are externalities that are the result of the way humankind has been...

  • If one formula one car hits another, and one of the parties is to blame, does that create liability to pay for the repairs of the other?

  • At the hearing of the parliamentary interrogation commission, investigating tax evasion,Toine Manders claimed at June 16th, that the government infringes people’s property rights by taxing. (Dutch only)

  • In his written answers to the European Parliament as well as orally during the hearing to establish his suitability to become first Vice-President of the European Commission, Commissioner Designate Frans Timmermans promises to ensure a common-sense test for all future legislation. I offer some legal...