Law & Justice

EU Expands Frontex Responsibilities

December 30, 2019

Raising national sovereignty concerns, according to a recent press release, Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, is gaining new responsibilities and tools to more effectively support EU Member States in managing their external borders.
European Court Upholds Lithuania's Expulsion of Russian Journalists

December 23, 2019

The European Court of Human Rights has held that Lithuanian authorities lawfully expelled four Russian journalists for their conduct at a Vilnius conference, as their aggressive behavior demonstrated that the measures had been necessary in the interests of national security and proportionate in scope.
ECJ Rules that Airbnb is an "Information Society Service," not a Real Estate Agency

December 23, 2019

After considering efforts by French authorities to classify Airbnb so that it would be subject to real estate licensing rules, the European Court of Justice ("ECJ") has ruled that, under an EU directive governing electronic commerce, Airbnb must be classified as an “information society service,” not a real estate agent.
ECJ Holds Airline Responsible for Passenger Beverage Spills

December 23, 2019

The Court of Justice of the EU has ruled that airlines are liable for passenger accidents on board their aircraft, specifically the scalding a passenger received from a cup of coffee that slipped off a folding table.
UK Government to Give Lower Courts Power to Overturn ECJ

December 23, 2019

The Boris Johnson-led UK Government is set to hand new powers to British judges in lower courts to overturn rulings by the European Court of Justice after Brexit, a power presently reserved to the UK Supreme Court.
European Court of Justice Decision Enhances Airbnb’s Regulatory Freedom

December 23, 2019

A top European court ruling that Airbnb is an “information society service,” not a real estate company, will give it greater regulatory freedom in Europe.
ECJ Upholds EU Gun Control Directives

December 10, 2019

In the face of a challenge by the Czech Republic (supported by Poland and Hungary), the Court of Justice of the European Union ("ECJ") has upheld European Union gun control regulations, adopted in 2017, which regulate the acquisition and possession of firearms.
EU Court Applies Labeling Regulations to Products Produced in Territories Occupied by the State of Israel

December 10, 2019

In a November judgment, the Grand Chamber of the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that foodstuffs originating in territories occupied by the State of Israel must bear the indication of the specific territory of their origin, including a Jewish settlement, citing an EU regulation requiring the provision of product information that enables consumers "to make informed choices, with regard not only to health, economic, environmental and social considerations, but also to ethical considerations and considerations relating to the observance of international law."
ECtHR Grand Chamber Decision Outlines Permitted Use of Workplace Surveillance Cameras

December 04, 2019

Reversing a judgment of a lower Chamber, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights ("ECtHR") has opined that, under certain conditions and with respect for proportionality, the use of hidden cameras on an employer's work floor for the purpose of revealing a criminal offense, such as theft, may be justified.
EU Court of Justice Places Fate of Judicial Discipline Reforms to Polish Supreme Court

November 25, 2019

The Court of Justice of the European Union has determined that it is up to the Supreme Court of Poland to decide if a new disciplinary body for judges was autonomous from political influence, leaving the fate of the key element of the government’s judicial overhaul in the hands of its critics.