When is a child forced to leave the EU? In Ruiz Zambrano the Court of Justice of the EU decided that a minor EU child may not be forced to leave the territory of the EU. Four years later it is still not clear what implications this ruling has. Mark Klaassen • April 30, 2015
Crime and (lack of) empathy in a changing world Research has established a link between lack of empathy and crime. It is interesting and illuminating to look at both phenomena from the context of the historical development of human consciousness in the Western world. Wim Bonis • March 14, 2015 • 2 comments
Capital punishment in Indonesia Last Sunday’s execution of Dutch national Ang Kiem Soei led to strong reactions from the Dutch government and in the media. This blog considers two questions: first, was Ang’s execution lawful and second, why did President Jokowi refuse to grant clemency? Adriaan Bedner • January 22, 2015
An Embedded Freedom of Speech The terrorist attack on Charlie Hebdo has put the freedom of speech back on the agenda. If we are serious about creating a world in which there is room for everybody, we have to rethink the content of this human right, so that it can help us forward. Wim Bonis • January 21, 2015 • 1 comment
How to feel more secure with less police In the Dutch national police force 3000 jobs have to be shed by 2017, reducing the presence of police officers on our streets. This need not endanger our sense of security, when we realise the importance of empathy and start practising it regularly. Wim Bonis • November 26, 2014
No man is an island, entire of itself My short stay this summer on Inisheer, the smallest of the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland, inspired me to think about some law-related issues: about law enforcement, the theory of Thomas Hobbes and the gift economy. Wim Bonis • October 15, 2014 • 1 comment
Watching quarrelling neighbours A Dutch TV programme, dedicated to legally solving cases of quarrelling neighbours, shows how a minor problem can be blown up to immense proportions. We would do better to respect our neighbours from the start, also on a larger scale between countries. Wim Bonis • August 27, 2014 • 5 comments
Every crime tells a story Although we rationally try to fight crime, we are fascinated by crime stories at the same time. They reach back to the mythical battles between the forces of good and evil. Yet do these stories also help to reduce crime? Wim Bonis • June 11, 2014
The law that everyone should know The principle that everyone is expected to know the law is not connected to any specific body of written laws. It refers to the spirit on which the Rule of Law is founded, which manifests itself as the famous Golden Rule. Wim Bonis • April 16, 2014 • 1 comment
