In the Spotlight

Antonia Sommerfeld, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute, and Verónica Ruiz Abou-Nigm, Professor at Edinburgh Law School, University of Edinburgh, are investigating the legal framework for sustainable solutions in the fashion industry. Toward this end, they are focusing on circular business models which allow sustainability and economic efficiency to merge together within a circular economy. What is the role of private international law (PIL) in this transformation process? How can PIL help to ensure that sustainable business practices prevail in global supply chains? more

What happens to our assets after our death? Most individuals will face this question at some point in their lives – because they are considering who should one day receive their assets or because they themselves are beneficiaries of an inheritance. Yet few people have a detailed understanding of just what German succession law prescribes or of the problems it poses. more

Making the essential information about a research project quickly understandable by means of visualization: Research posters are increasingly being used for this purpose. Poster sessions complementing a lecture program have become a standard feature at academic conferences. As part of the most recent evaluation of the Institute by its advisory board, young researchers presented the topics addressed in their doctoral and post-doctoral theses in a poster session. more

For over 50 years, the animal rights movement has been advocating a change in the relationship between humans and animals. In the humanities and social sciences, an “animal turn” has been proclaimed. There is now also growing interest in the question of how animals should be legally treated and whether they are entitled to their own rights. “While constitutional rights for animals have been in the foreground up to now, it is precisely private law that has a long tradition of gradually emancipating new legal subjects and of giving them an individual and autonomous character,” says Felix Aiwanger, research fellow at the Institute. more

Corporate forms are the essence of company law. They not only shape ideas in business practice but also determine the composition of textbooks. For much of the 20th century, the established canon of rules regarding partnerships and corporate forms remained virtually unchanged. This long phase of “legislative calm” lasted until the end of the 1970s. “In the past five decades, we have witnessed an enormous dynamic of development”, says Institute Director Holger Fleischer. more

In her new book, director at the Institute Anne Röthel traces the development of the right to bodily self-determination into a more generalized body of law over the course of the 20th century, only to observe its current state of incompletion. Her analysis addresses the situation of three categories of persons whose right to bodily self-determination remains distinct from that of “normal” adults: persons receiving medical care, children, and persons without full legal capacity. more

The Young Academy Fellows of the Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Hamburg have for a number of years been using science comics to present their topics of research. Katharina Isabel Schmidt, Research Fellow at the Institute and Young Academy Fellow, has authored a comic together with artist Hannah Brinkmann. With a handful of words and powerful images, they tell the story of a historical court case in France that remains thought-provoking today. “The little bread thief on trial” illustrates the conflict between written law and lived justice, a conflict which is at the heart of modern legal philosophy. more

Since it was founded, the Institute has been publishing Die deutsche Rechtsprechung auf dem Gebiete des Internationalen Privatrechts (IPRspr) [German cases in private international law]. The IPRspr appeared in print until 2022. It has now been released as an open access database. more

Western perceptions of Japan often revolve around the country’s history of technological innovation, its strong export economy, or cultural elements holding fascination. Yet in terms of the comparative insights that Japanese law offers, little is known – even among lawyers. “There are many reasons to study Japanese law,” says Ruth Effinowicz, Head of the Institute’s Centre of Expertise on Japan. “And one’s view of Japan should not be guided solely by the – sometimes presumed – otherness of Japanese culture and society.” more

Addressing social challenges with entrepreneurial means has become a global trend. Especially among the younger generation of founders, a combined focus on the common good and earning profits is seen as a desirable organizational model. However, the legal framework underlying such endeavours is still poorly developed. A project led by Institute Director Holger Fleischer is exploring this subject from an interdisciplinary perspective. more