On 5 August 2026, Florian Breitsameter, doctoral researcher and staff member at the Chair, delivered a lecture at the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics. The event took place at Merton College, University of Oxford.
Under the title “Animal Constitutionalism and Constitutional Theory,” he discussed the constitutional framework for animal protection under Article 20a of the German Basic Law (Grundgesetz). He then drew a comparison with the United States legal system, highlighting both commonalities and fundamental differences in the judicial treatment of animals in the case law of the two countries. Finally, he presented broader reflections on the constitutional protection of animals.

Many thanks to Atlantik-Brücke e.V. for the invitation to a panel discussion with Prof. Monica Hakimi (Columbia University), Dr Iris Sayram (ARD), and Prof Dr Michael Kubiciel. The focus was on the role and function of international law in a time of profound changes to the international order. The discussion was serious but by no means pessimistic, and it offered numerous new insights.

In recent days, Prof. Dr. Kubiciel has engaged in an in depth examination of freedom of expression and its limits under criminal law. The occasion for this were recent decisions of the Federal Constitutional Court as well as the public debate surrounding Section 188 of the German Criminal Code. This provision does not constitute a special privilege for public officeholders; rather, its application presupposes that elected officials must tolerate significantly more intense criticism than other individuals and applies only under narrowly defined statutory conditions.
On these issues, Prof.Dr. Kubiciel has contributed articles to FAZ Einspruch and participated in discussions with the ARD justice correspondents. In addition, he was invited to an exchange with a working group of legal policymakers in the German Bundestag.