Volume 25, Issue 1

The Energy Commons embody the small-scale generation of renewable energy by groups of citizens. Existing scholarship and the European Union’s rules on the internal governance of citizen and renewable energy communities envision the Energy Commons as making the energy transition more democratic, equitable, inclusive, and local. Based on empirical research on citizen-led energy generation in Germany, this contribution examines the extent to which Energy Commons in practice live up to these normative ideals, why they partially fail to do so and how regulatory change can enable Energy Commons to converge to these ideals. This contribution sets out different types of Energy Commons and assesses how each type performs against scholarly expectations and the EU rules on their internal governance. It identifies the complexity of the energy sector as the main obstacle to achieving said normative ideals and sketches guidelines for regulatory change to reduce this complexity.

This article investigates the British and American interventions in Greece during the Greek Civil War, examining their legal and moral justifications. Using archival documents, the study uncovers two primary layers of discourse: the official diplomatic language of opinio juris (conviction of legality) and opinio moris (conviction of morality), alongside the covert political interests that drove these interventions. The research argues that British and American actions were primarily motivated by a ‘conviction of interest,’ with legal and moral narratives used tactically to justify their interventions. The archival materials reveal a notable lack of empathy and understanding from British and American officials regarding the trauma endured by the Greek populace due to the German occupation and collaborationist violence. Additionally, there was a significant neglect of the will of the Greek people. The study critically examines the Caserta and Civil Affairs Agreements, which provided a legal basis for British intervention, arguing that these agreements, when viewed in light of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, fail to justify the extent of foreign interference, thus questioning the authenticity of Greek consent. The article also explores the transition from British to American dominance in Greek affairs. As Britain faced economic constraints after the end of WWII, it ceded its role to the U.S., leading to the formulation of the Truman Doctrine and the implementation of the Marshall Plan. The U.S. intervention is analyzed through legal and geopolitical lenses, revealing a strategic focus on preventing communist expansion rather than providing purely legal or moral support for Greece’s recovery. Similar to British actions, American involvement often overlooked the political situation and the will of the Greek people, thereby contributing to prolonged instability.

The relationship between language and education is deeply intertwined, with each domain exerting a profound influence upon the other. Drawing on international law on minority rights, the right to education and protection of endangered languages, this article seeks to probe the extent to which linguistic justice in the education of ethnic minorities in Vietnam is realized, an important issue in the preservation and promotion of ethnic cultural identity and linguistic diversity. It argues that despite the alignment of Vietnamese laws with international standards, as suggested by a legal positivist approach, ethnic minorities in Vietnam still encounter significant challenges when attempting to use their native languages in educational contexts. This article examines the hurdles faced by ethnic minorities in Vietnam in achieving linguistic justice for ethnic minorities in Vietnam from the perspective of international law. By exploring this intersection, it contributes to a deeper understanding of the complex issues surrounding language rights and minority rights within the context of Vietnamese education policy.

The article focuses on the renewed discipline of product oversight and governance in insurance law. Specifically, the contribution examines the significance of the value for money principle, which, through acts by the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA), has had a considerable impact on the organization of insurance companies as well as on the policies ultimately distributed. Regarding the structure of the article, the first part addresses the contractual characterization provided by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) of so-called IBIPs (investment-based insurance products), for which the value for money principle is particularly impactful. The second part of the article focuses on the operation of product oversight and governance and the influence of the value for money principle on it. Finally, the last part of the analysis centers on the relationship between the CJEU’s precedents and their integration into the harmonizing policy conducted by European institutions, which inevitably also affects the field of financial and insurance law.

Sri Lanka underwent series of colonial domination under European powers and the cultural heritages revered by the inhabitants were at perilous risk at the hands of the colonizers. Tara Devi is an icon embodying the religious and cultural uniqueness of the Buddhist civilization of Sri Lankan from the Anuradhapura era. Tara Devi was taken away during the early part of the British administration and now it is being kept in the British museum in London. This paper in an attempt in tracing the colonial injustice of the British from an international law perspective, which equally reflects the parochial realities of the prevailing eurocentrism. While tracing British claim for keeping Tara Devi at their possession, this article takes into the account of the enraging narratives international law in a decolonized context. The results arising from this work unfolds the hard realities that encompasses the Global South in attaining the justice under international legal framework.