Law & Justice

Eurojust Launches Counter-Terrorism Register

September 06, 2019

Eurojust, the EU’s agency for judicial cooperation, launched on 5 September a Counter-Terrorism Register to help each EU country quickly exchange information about any potential terrorist activities.
U.K. Court Dismisses Challenge to Police Use of Facial Recognition Technology

September 06, 2019

A U.K. Court has dismissed a challenge brought by Liberty claiming that the absence of legal safeguards pertaining to the use of facial recognition technology by police violates human rights and data protection laws.
COE Commissioner on Human Rights Warns of Threats to Judicial Independence in Europe

September 04, 2019

In a commentary, Council of Europe Commissioner on Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, opines that the independence of judges and the judiciary in Europe is under threat.
CoE Body Demands Shift in German Corruption Rules

August 14, 2019

The Council of Europe’s (CoE) Group of States Against Corruption has applied a “non-compliance procedure” to Germany over the country’s failure to implement a set of recommendations on preventing corruption with respect to members of the German Federal Parliament.
EU Officials Seek Control over Online “Hate Speech”

August 01, 2019

Eric Sinrod of Duane Morris LLP examines EU draft legislation that would, in part, permit an EU committee to order social-media companies and internet service providers to take down “illegal content” such as “hate speech” from online platforms within an hour of notice from the committee.
EC Takes Legal Action over Hungarian Migration Laws

August 01, 2019

The European Commission (EC) has referred the Hungarian government to the Court of Justice of the EU for restrictions on asylum requests and has warned that it could take legal action over the country’s decision not to provide food to migrants in transit zones along the Serbian border.
Finnish PM Plans to Advance EU Rule-of-Law Budget Rules

July 18, 2019

EURACTIV reports that Finnish Prime Minister Antti Rinne has told the European Parliament that his government will work toward conditioning the disbursement of EU development funds to member states on compliance with rule-of-law principles while it holds the rotating EU Council presidency.
EC Proceeds with Legal Action Against Polish Judicial Reforms

July 18, 2019

In its latest pressure on the Polish government to reverse reforms to the country’s judiciary, the European Commission (EC) has sent a “reasoned opinion” to Polish officials explaining why their new disciplinary procedure for judges violates the principle of judicial independence and threatening referral to the Court of Justice of the EU.
EU President-Elect Previews New Rule of Law Mechanism

July 17, 2019

EURACTIV reports that, prior to her election Tuesday as the next European Commission President, German Minister of Defence Ursula von der Leyen pledged her support for EU social and environmental measures that include a revamped Rule of Law Mechanism requiring annual reporting by all member states.
EU Falters in Effort to Counter Disinformation

July 17, 2019

The New York Times reports that critics of the EU’s “Rapid Alert System,” established to deter Russian propaganda and alert Europeans about online disinformation campaigns, has become powerless due to concerns of political backlash and threats to free speech.