Chair of Public Law, International and European Law
and empirical legal research
Prof. Dr. Niels Petersen
Chair of Public Law, International and European Law
Book Presentation: "fristgebunden. Rechtskulturen der Zeit"
Deadlines shape our lives. But as a “necessary evil,” they often escape critical scrutiny. A new book co-authored by Konstantin Chatziathanasiou brings them into focus. Published by Mohr Siebeck, the book is the result of a working group at the Bielefeld Center for Interdisciplinary Research (ZiF). More information about the book can be found here on the publisher’s website. On May 12, 2026, Konstantin Chatziathanasiou and Michael W. Müller (Mannheim) will present the book at the Max Planck Institute for Legal History and Legal Theory in Frankfurt. A commentary by Sonja Heitzer (Giessen) will open the discussion. Click here for the event announcement.
Constitutional Moot Court (VMC) 2026
Information about this year's VMC can be found on Learnweb (password: VMC2026!). The event will take place on June 26 and 27, 2026, at the University of Münster and at the OVG NRW.
Challenging the Authority of International Courts and Institutions
On March 5 and 6, 2026, the German-French International Law Conference was held at Münster Castle. French- and German-speaking speakers discussed the topics outlined in the conference program. We would like to thank all those involved, including the Société française pour le droit international, the German Society of International Law, and the Fritz Thyssen Stiftung für Wissenschaftsförderung.
Latest Report on the JESSUP 2025/26
Here you can find a report on the Jessup Moot Court 2025/26.
Information
Cooperation information
The University of Münster maintains cooperations with UConn and the USP. If you are interested in a stay abroad, you can get more information under "Abroad" at the right side of the page.
News
Successful book publication: Equality's Guardians
On 11. July 2025, the result of the ERC Consolidator Grant Project: Correcting Inequality through Law was published by Oxford University Press: Prof. Niels Petersen's book Equality's Guardians. How Courts Conceptualize Equal Protection and Non-Discrimination Guarantees is now available open-access.
Further information, including the many contributors to the research project, can be found on the publisher's website.
Contact
Accessibility of the secretariat
The chair can be reached in particular by telephone (0251-83-22021) or by e-mail, as well as in the office mondays and thurdays between 7.00 h and 12.00 h. Please contact Ms. Petra Fentner (petra.fentner@uni-muenster.de) or directly to the respective employees.
Consultation hours
by agreement
Please contact Ms. Fentner for appointments and all other inquiries by e-mail or in person within the opening hours of the secretariat.