Freedom – finding a home for us all

When Leiden University was founded, freedom meant non-interference by authorities. In the 1960s it was expanded inwardly to living authentic lives. And amidst a mass immigration of boat refugees, the West is still struggling to fully realize its freedom.

Wim Bonis • June 10, 2015 • 1 comment

The amoral mentality of bankers

Joris Luyendijk, who has thoroughly analysed the world of bankers in London, argues that bankers can behave amorally because they only check whether their behaviour is permitted by law. Yet they definitely do violate the moral basis of law.

Wim Bonis • May 13, 2015

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

leidenlawblog

Blogs