CEU Department of Legal Studies

Congratulations to the Department's class of 2023!

Congratulations to the Class of 2023! 🎓 🎉 🎓



📷: CEU/Daniel Vegel

For more graduation photos, visit https://buff.ly/3CNOuRi

Between Philosopher King and Juristocracy: The Ambivalence of Adventurous Apex Courts in South Asia | Department of Legal Studies In the era of ‘democratic backsliding’, the judiciary, with the constitutional or supreme court at its helm, have been one of the prime targets. This attack comes against the backdrop of the liberal constitutionalist presumption that the independence of judiciary is indispensable to checks and b...

On May 23 and 24, 2023, the Legal Studies Department at the Central European University, Vienna, organised a symposium that discussed the role of the apex courts in South Asia in resisting this "democratic backsliding." Titled 'Between Philosopher King and Juristocracy: The Ambivalence of Adventurous Apex Courts in South Asia', the symposium saw participation of a number of legal scholars from the South Asian region and doctoral candidates from CEU. Read more here: https://legal.ceu.edu/article/2023-06-21/between-philosopher-king-and-juristocracy-ambivalence-adventurous-apex-courts

Carolina Bertazolli Wins Grant for her Research on Limitations of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights | Department of Legal Studies The Department of Legal Studies is proud to announce that our SJD candidate Carolina Bertazolli received the SERA-LSA grant for researchers focusing on socio-economic rights. The grant is awarded by Social and Economic Rights Associates in partnership with the Law and Society Association. Social and...

Dorjana Bojanovska Popovska wins Best Dissertation Award | Department of Legal Studies The Department of Legal Studies is proud to announce that Dorjana Bojanovska Popovska is among the recipients of the Best Dissertation Award by the decision of the University Doctoral Committee in the 2022-2023 academic year. The alumna's work entitled "Reversed Secularization and the Limits of Cons...

Not all women menstruate, and not all people who menstruate are women: New research on trans and nonbinary menstruation

Together with colleagues Rowena Kosher and Lauren C. Houghton from Columbia University, Inga Winkler has published a new open access article on "MANstruation: A cyberethnography of linguistic strategies of trans and nonbinary menstruators." While menstrual research and policy are gaining ground, the focus remains on the "default menstruator." Trans and nonbinary experiences of menstruation are subject to menstrual discourse that is deeply gendered evident in terms such as “feminine hygiene” and “women's health.” The article examines the linguistic strategies of trans and nonbinary menstruators through a cyberethnography on YouTube. Menstruators describe a range of menstrual experiences—dysphoria, tensions between femininity and masculinity, and transnormative pressures. Taken together, the videos not only uncover an overlooked community of menstruators who demonstrate unique linguistic engagement with menstruation, but they also reveal destigmatization and inclusion strategies that can inform critical menstruation activism and research as a whole. However messy in their embodiments, nuances, and intricacies, not all women menstruate and not all menstruators are women, and our language not only ought to reflect but embrace these pluralities.

Students of the Legal Department of Central European University visited the Austrian Constitutional Court, known as the first centralized constitutional court in the world. It is the raw model and the origin of a design of judicial review that has traveled around the globe ever since.
Presidential Director Dr. Winsauer spoke words of welcome to the students and the Head of the President's Office and Deputy Presidential Director Mag. Bruckmüller gave an introduction to the tasks of the court, its composition, and its work processes. She was complemented by Prof. Dr. Pauser, who explained the history of the Court and the special role of Hans Kelsen in it. The afternoon was rounded off by a visit to the Kelsen exhibition in the Juridicum. Dr. Wedrac from the University of Vienna embedded Kelsen's legal world of thought in the historical context of the Habsburg Empire and the period after the First World War.

Inga Winkler is an Associate Professor of International Human Rights Law in Central European University’s (CEU) Department of Legal Studies. Her research situates menstrual health in the context of human rights. She serves as project director for the working group on Menstrual Health and Gender Justice, which creates momentum around menstruation, awareness and action. She also co-edited the Handbook of Critical Menstruation Studies, which provides a comprehensive and multidisciplinary view of the state of the field, opening up new directions in research and advocacy.

Inga Winkler Connects Menstrual Health and Human Rights | Central European University Inga Winkler is an Associate Professor of International Human Rights Law in Central European University’s (CEU) Department of Legal Studies. Her research situates menstrual health in the context of human rights. She serves as project director for the working group on Menstrual Health and Gender Ju...

This podcast is a practical component of Ekaterina Toporova's Capstone project within the framework of the Master of Laws in Human Rights program at the Central European University.
The main purpose of the podcast is to introduce to listeners the framework of the effective redress mechanisms under UNGP as well as the upcoming EU Directive on corporate sustainability due diligence and explore the possible solutions to ensure the effectiveness of redress mechanisms at the legislative level, as well as it’s effective implementation.

In the first episode Ekaterina and her guest Bruna are talking about existing international standards for the redress mechanisms for human rights violations committed by businesses. The main purpose of this episode is to introduce the listener to existing conversations about remedies for business human rights violations to prepare for future discussions concerning this topic.
As a part of the conversation, they are trying to understand how effective are existing frameworks of OECD and UNGP. Further, in the episode, they are discussing new mechanisms proposed in the upcoming European Commission's Directive on corporate sustainability due diligence and how to these mechanisms comply with the whole effectiveness narrative that has been created before.
The second episode will concentrate on exploring and discussing possible solutions to ensure the effectiveness of redress mechanisms at the legislative level, as well as their effective implementation.

Amateur podcast for mature human rights concerns Listen to Amateur podcast for mature human rights concerns on Spotify. This podcast is a practical component of Ekaterina Toporova's Capstone project within the framework of the Master of Laws in Human Rights program at the Central European University. The main purpose of the podcast is to introduce...

SJD candidate Mark Warren considers one aspect of the potential design of a future central bank digital currency (CBDC) in the Eurozone in his article published in the University of Bologna Law Review, titled "Let the Digital Euro Circulate: Introducing a Retail C.B.D.C. in the Eurozone With Unlimited Holdings by Users".

SJD candidate Mark Warren publishes article in University of Bologna Law Review | Department of Legal Studies SJD candidate Mark Warren considers one aspect of the potential design of a future central bank digital currency (CBDC) in the Eurozone in his article published in the University of Bologna Law Review, titled "Let the Digital Euro Circulate: Introducing a Retail C.B.D.C. in the Eurozone With Unlimit...

Book Discussion on The Everyday Makers of International Law published by Cambridge University Press

On 5 May 2023, Miia Halme-Tuomisaari (Lund University) and Tommaso Soave (CEU) will talk about The Everyday Makers of International Law (https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/everyday-makers-of-international-law/6BE15DA8A283F01814378A093416606C -information), Tommaso's new book out with CUP. The book offers a fresh insight into the inner workings of international courts and tribunals. It narrates the invisible practices that make up the dispute settlement process and unravels the myriad interactions of the legal experts who run the international judiciary (judges, arbitrators, agents, counsel, advisors, bureaucrats, and specialized academics). By combining the rigor of an ethnographic essay and the creativity of a novel, Tommaso questions the disciplinary boundaries of international legal scholarship and invites new ways of teaching, learning, and studying international institutions. Md. Rizwanul Islam of North South University will moderate the webinar.

The registration page is available here: https://www.asil.org/event/book-discussion-everyday-makers-international-law-published-cambridge-university-press

Book Discussion on The Everyday Makers of International Law published by Cambridge University Press | ASIL Description: On 5 May 2023, Miia Halme-Tuomisaari of Lund University and Tommaso Soave (CEU) will talk about The Everyday Makers of International Law, Tommaso's new book out with CUP. The book offers a fresh insight into the inner workings of international courts and tribunals. It narrates the invi...

Between Philosopher King and Juristocracy: The Ambivalence of Adventurous Apex Courts in South Asia Symposium Friday, May 19, 2023, 2:00 pm – Saturday, May 20, 2023, 1:00 pm In the era of ‘democratic backsliding’, the judiciary, with the constitutional or supreme court at its helm, has been one of the prime targets. This attack comes against the backdrop of the liberal constitutionalist pres...

The Aesthetics of International Law - Conference Conference Friday, May 12, 2023, 9:00 am – Saturday, May 13, 2023, 6:00 pm conference | International law, like any other legal system, comes with its imagery and aesthetics: the grand décor of international courts, the harrowing footage of humanitarian crises, the paintings of ambassadors signin...

Business law students visit the Vienna Stock Exchange | Department of Legal Studies As part of the ongoing ‘Capital Markets and Securities Regulation’ course of Professor Tibor Tajti, a visit to the Vienna Stock Exchange was organized by our Department on 17th of April 2023. The visit included a presentation coupled with discussions on numerous topics on the Vienna Stock Exchan...

Universal Realization of the Human Rights to Water and Sanitation in High-income Countries is a Myth

We usually assume that countries in the global North provide universal access to water and sanitation services. However, this overlooks persistent gaps in access to such services that are caused by social exclusion, discrimination, and racism.

Prof. Winkler has contributed to a new paper in Lancet Global Health, which is authored by a multi-disciplinary and multi-country author team from countries in Europe, North America and Australia and will feed into the work of the Lancet Commission on water, sanitation, and hygiene, and health.

The paper draws on case studies to showcase the discrimination experienced by Roma communities, people experiencing homelessness, and migrant and refugee populations, among others. These case studies powerfully show that universal access to water and sanitation is a myth. The human rights to water and sanitation are left unrealized for many. The paper argues that we need to acknowledge that disparities are rooted in ongoing neglect, deliberate exclusion, and systemic racism as the basis for developing approaches to service provision that center communities and groups without consistent access.

Congratulations to our doctoral students!

SJD candidates Gvantsa Elgendashvili, Kate Karklina, and Nemanja Simic are recipients of awards for doctoral students | Department of Legal Studies The Department of Legal Studies is proud to announce that three of our SJD candidates received an award for the progress and achievements of their doctoral thesis so far. The recipients of the awards is Nemanja Simic (SJD - 2nd year), who received the Academic Achievement Award for First-Year Doctor...