No abstract

Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) solemnly proclaims that the EU is founded on the respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights. Yet, a growing body of case law concerning rule of law backsliding continuously reminds us of the lack of a dedicated functional mechanism to remedy this. We are left with a fragmented understanding of the founding values and a patchy framework for their enforcement: whilst there is increasing guidance on judicial independence and the rule of law, no founding value has been defined comprehensively. The legal classification of the founding values is equally unclear, as is their position in the EU’s constitutional framework. This paper makes do with what we have, to offer systematic, normative, and substantive clarifications on Article 2 TEU. Systematically, it places the founding values in the constitutional context of the EU’s and Member States’ legal orders and discusses their autonomy, interpretation, and function. Normatively, this paper objects to the direct enforcement of the founding values by reference to their constitutional significance and over-constitutionalization. Substantively, it favors the indirect enforcement of the founding values and explores the connections between Article 2 TEU and other Treaty provisions.

No abstract

of legal editorship and authorship 'is a valuable training; and this work on the journal is already viewed at Cambridge as one of the highest goals of student-ambition'. Yet, within a few years, the direction of the journal was entirely taken over by the Law Faculty. The founding of the Cambridge Student Law Review, and its subsequent incarnations, therefore represents a significant development in the history of student-run journal publications. Currently published biannually by Edward Elgar, the journal is celebrating its anniversary with a special section that reflects on a decade of developments in international law.Since its founding, the journal has published contributions of high quality by esteemed authors, including works by Sir Hersch and Sir Elihu Lauterpacht, Sir Christopher Greenwood and Philippe Sands. It has also contributed three issues to the UK Supreme Court Yearbook. The number of submissions that the CILJ receives from the broad international law community increases by the year, reaching nearly 350 in the last academic year. The editorial board has grown in response and now includes 46 members, of whom more than two-thirds work on the journal itself. Of the submissions received every year, about 14 are published. The longest volume to date is No 3, which included nearly 50 contributions across four issues.The CILJ has also been hosting the annual Cambridge International Law Conference since 2011, to which the last issue of each volume is dedicated. Like the journal itself, the conference has attracted esteemed practitioners and scholars, including Dame Rosalyn Higgins, Dean Spielmann and Abdulqawi Yusuf. The conference has also grown in popularity and size and is now organised by a team of six to eight editorial board members. Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 edition was successfully moved online and did not have to be cancelled, unlike many other events that were scheduled for last spring. Although the journal today only publishes two issues every year, it steadily provides popular updates on developments in international law through its blog.Finally and importantly, a word of gratitude is due to the more than 60 members of the academic review board, many of whom have supported the journal in various ways over many years, including by providing high-quality peer review. Without them, the journal could neither have achieved nor maintained its current high standard.

No abstract