Gilbert Hagabimana, PhD
Gilbert Hagabimana
Gilbert.Hagabimana@uni-bayreuth.de
Affiliations
Chair of Public Law II, Faculty of Law, Business and Economics, University of Bayreuth
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Markus Möstl
Year of Entry: 2016
Biography
Gilbert Hagabimana holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Burundi and Master of Laws from the University of Burundi. He is now pursuing his doctoral studies at the University of Bayreuth.
He is a professional lawyer, member of the Burundi Bar Association
His areas of interests are:
- Law of Regional Integration with special focus on the European Union Law and East African Community Law,
- Public international Law
- Human Rights
Thesis
“A Legal analysis of the relationship between State Sovereignty and Regional Integration: A Comparative Study between the European Union and the East African Community”
Research
In the integration process, there is uncertainty as to whether States can leave certain sovereign rights to the benefit of the common interest. Indeed, although sovereignty is a concept that is not easy to define and, therefore, not easy to know exactly what it means, there is a common comprehension that it “ has a double aspect; it is closely related to the state capacity of governing itself and settling its own rules and it is also related to its right of doing what it wishes, without external interference”.
Therefore, there is uncertainty on how these two elements- State Sovereignty and Regional Integration- can be conciliated since State sovereignty requires non external interference whereas Regional integration implies, at some extent, for State to leave a part of their sovereignty to the Community organs. Several examples of uncertainties as to weather member states can surrender their sovereign rights to the Community organs exist in both the European Union and East African Community. One can name the Brexit and many other decisions of the different national constitutional courts on the EU treaties.
This project tries to explore all these aspects. For a well-rounded research, this study focuses on the main elements considered as to be the essential determinants of the relationship between State sovereignty and Regional Integration. Indeed, in both the European Union and then East African Community, the author analyses the competences of the Community in comparison with those of its member states, the influence of national institutions in the community’s decision-making process and the relationship between the community law and national laws.
Conferences
1. International Student Seminar held in cologne (Germany)
- Principal Theme: “Human Rights vs. National Security – Should Freedom be restricted to Safeguard Freedom?”
- Paper Presented: National Security as s Tool for the Limitation of the Freedom of Expression: A Case Study of Burundi
2. Conférence sur « l’Epistémologies et méthodologies [juridiques] en perspectives postcoloniales », AIX- EN- PROVENCE (France), Nov. 2018
- Article présenté: « Aspects du développement des droits de l’homme dans la Communauté d’Afrique de l’Est : Analyse de la méthodologie adoptée par la Cour Est Africaine de Justice »
Affiliations
- Chair of Public Law II, Faculty of Law, Business and Economics
- Advisory Board of Culture and Development East Africa (https://www.cdea.or.tz/)
- Burundi Bar Association