Law & Justice

European Parliament Ends Case to Force EU Action on Rule-of-Law

August 03, 2022

Due to a fragile legal case, The European Parliament has dropped a lawsuit against the European Commission that demanded the utilization of the newly created rule of law mechanism that would allow the cutting of funds to countries accused of not respecting EU laws.
Greece Taken to EU Court Over Environmental Impact Assessment Failures

July 27, 2022

The European Commission is referring Greece to the Court of Justice after the commission decided that Greece has failed to carry out environmental impact assessments for certain large infrastructure projects under the 1985 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive.
UK High Court Orders Government to Provide Details on Plans to Hit Net Zero Targets

July 20, 2022

The United Kingdom’s High Court has ruled that the UK government’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), who published its Net Zero Strategy in October 2021 describing its plan to deliver net zero emissions by 2050, left out vital components and has ordered the BEIS to publish a new, more detailed report for March 2023.
Online Platforms in the EU are Given One Hour to Remove Terrorist Content Under New Regulation

June 07, 2022

Social media platforms including Facebook, Google and Twitter now have an hour to take down terrorist content such as music, livestreams, photos or videos inciting violence or risk fines of billions of euros as the EU’s terrorist content regulation, which was passed in 2021 comes into force.
Politico: Putin Allies Fight Back Against EU Sanctions in Court

June 03, 2022

More than twenty of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s allies including businessmen, politicians and other individuals connected to the Kremlin are suing the Council of the EU after having been sanctioned following the invasion of Ukraine.
Tettenborn: In Defense of the British Bill of Rights

May 18, 2022

Andrew Tettenborn writing in The Spectator argues that critics are wrong to attack Dominic Raab’s plan revealed during the Queen’s Speech to make adjustments to the Human Rights Act by replacing it with a British Bill of Rights, keeping Britain in the European Convention on Human Rights concerning International matters but will emphasize British law on domestic issues.
EU Citizens May be able to Claim Damages for Pollution Levels

May 11, 2022

Juliane Kokott, Advocate General to the European Court of Justice, said EU governments may be held liable if they have failed to meet air quality promises following a French citizen’s request for €21 million in damages from the French governement.
EU's Top Court Rejects Appeal By Hungary, Poland, Over Bloc's Rule-Of-Law Tool

March 23, 2022

Following a challenge from two EU countries, the European Court of Justice, the EU’s top court, has dismissed legal challenges by Poland and Hungary to the bloc's new instrument enabling it to withhold funding to member nations if they are found to be failing to uphold the rule of law.
Top French Court Upholds Ban on Wearing Hijabs in Lille Courtrooms

March 04, 2022

France's highest court, the Cour de Cassation, upheld a ban on barristers wearing the hijab and other religious symbols in courtrooms in the north, setting a precedent for the rest of the country as the Republican value of secularism stirs debate ahead of the upcoming presidential election.
EU to Withhold Funds from Poland over Unpaid Fine

February 09, 2022

The European Commission plans to withhold €15m in EU funds from Poland for Warsaw refusing to pay the European Court of Justice €500,000 per day in fines for not complying with the court’s decision over a coal mine dispute.