Law

Madeleine Petersen Weiner addresses the phenomenon of strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs), whereby critical statements are silenced through legal proceedings, particularly in cross-border contexts. She explains the legal loopholes and presents reform proposals aimed at better protecting those affected and curbing abuse.

Unlike nationality, citizenship of the European Union has long been irrelevant in the context of extraditions by member states. Hendrik Meier examines whether EU citizenship provides for member state nationals' special protection in cases of extradition requests by third countries.

Although the European Convention on Human Rights does not contain any social rights, the European Court of Human Rights regularly rules on complaints concerning social benefits. Yannick Vincent Schoog analyzes the protection of social benefits in the case law of the ECtHR, exploring the relationship between the greatest possible protection for citizens' social benefits, the budgetary sovereignty of states, and the consistent application of human and fundamental rights. The study also takes a comparative look at the case law of the Federal Constitutional Court and the European Court of Justice to deliver a comprehensive overview of the protection of social benefits in the European multi-level system between Strasbourg, Karlsruhe and Luxembourg.

Social media and similar platforms have profoundly changed political opinion-forming processes and significantly increased the communicative power of each individual. What does this mean for democracy? And to what extent does it challenge the Federal Republic of Germany's prevailing thinking in constitutional and public law?