Blog of the International Journal of Constitutional Law

Category: Claudia Haupt

  • “… far more onerous than the restrictions found in this Nation.”

    In McDonald v. Chicago, Justice Stevens stated in dissent that “the experience of other advanced democracies . . . undercuts the notion that an expansive right to keep and bear arms is intrinsic to ordered liberty. Many of these countries place restrictions on the possession, use, and carriage of firearms far more onerous than the…

  • Greece, the Euro, and the FCC

    The German Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) has denied an application for a temporary injunction to stop Germany’s contribution to the aid package for Greece (German decision here, English press release here). The challenged law authorized the federal government to guarantee loans up to 22.4 billion euros.

  • New President at the FCC & Some Thoughts on the Appointment Process

    Last week, Hans-Jürgen Papier retired from his position as President of the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) and chief judge of the First Senate upon expiration of his 12 year term on the court. His successor as President is the former Vice-President of the Court Andreas Voßkuhle (FCC press release in German here).

  • More on Constitutional Concerns regarding EU Data Retention Directive

    Readers will likely recall that the German Federal Constitutional Court earlier this month held unconstitutional a German law requiring the retention of certain telecommunication data (German decision here, German press reports in English here and here). The law that was invalidated transposed Directive 2006/24/EC, passed largely in response to the Madrid and London bombings, into…