In Minneapolis, a nationwide migrant crackdown led to masses of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers being sent to the city, with protests met by tear gas and stun grenades as the mayor described the city as being invaded by federal agents. This scene is mirrored halfway across the world in Kashmir, where the […]
Over thirty-five years after its establishment, the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe[1] has become a central reference point in transnational constitutionalism. Established in 1990 to assist States emerging from authoritarianism in Central and Eastern Europe, it has evolved into a global constitutional actor with a distinctive capacity to articulate and diffuse standards of […]
The case of Evans v UK (2007)sheds light on a crucial aspect of human reproduction and updates the foundational commitment of the UDHR that âall human beings are born free and equal in dignity and in rightsâ (emphasis added). This post argues that human dignity is the foundation of consent to assisted procreation, but the […]
One of the distinctive features of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) is the absence of any explicit reference to human dignity in the text of the Convention itself. Human dignity is neither guaranteed as an autonomous right nor expressly mentioned in the Preamble. Nevertheless, dignity played a significant role during the travaux prĂ©paratoires […]
Human dignity is the foundation of human rights in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights[1], replacing natural law in times of positivism. It is an important part of almost all constitutions of Council of Europe member States. Human dignity is key to protect human beings throughout their lives and beyond. Because of this common origin […]
Democratic structures around the world face a notable decline, driven at least partially by the rise of right-wing populism. While not monolithic, these movements consolidate power by constructing exclusionary narratives that divide societies into ârealâ citizens and threatening âothers,â using in particular âgenderedâ politics to legitimise this reshaping of public life.[1] This blog examines how […]
Two days before Romanians were to vote in the 2024 presidential run-off, the Constitutional Court annulled the first-round results, citing concerns around fairness and integrity.[1] Behind this lay the unprecedented claim that AI-generated disinformation, allegedly orchestrated by Russia, had compromised Romanians’ integrity to vote. Declassified intelligence revealed that nearly 800 dormant TikTok accounts linked to […]
Respect for human dignity is continually presented as one of the fundamental values of the Council of Europe. A recent example is found in the European Court of Human Rightsâ (ECtHR) judgment in Ukraine and The Netherlands v. Russia in July 2025.[1] A more surprising recent example is found in the open letter in May […]
Professor Susanne Baer, a former judge of the German Constitutional Court, once stated that one of the goals of judicial review is to fulfil the promise of human dignity as equal respect. What Professor Baer stated is certainly applicable also to the institutions that protect human rights beyond the state, including the European Court of […]
The Internet is an indispensable part of our lives, and access to it by all is key to democracy. Yet, in India, digital infrastructure is rather poor and characterised by a design, that makes it not universally accessible to all regardless of (dis)abilities. This post discusses the right to accessibility for persons with disabilities (âPWDsâ). […]