Associate Professor of Law at the Faculty of Law of the University of Prishtina, Member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, practicing lawyer with PRI Legal & Partners

Fisnik Korenica is an Associate Professor of Law at the Faculty of Law of the University of Prishtina, a Member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, and a practicing lawyer with PRI Legal & Partners. His professional profile combines academic work, legal practice, international legal expertise, policy engagement, and extensive experience in constitutional, European and international law.

He has been teaching at the University of Prishtina since 2009 and has served as professor of law since 2017. His teaching and academic work have covered theory of law, law of international courts and tribunals, human rights law, legal methodology, legal writing and rhetoric, and related areas of public/constitutional law. In addition to teaching, he has supervised and mentored students, contributed to curriculum development, and pursued research on questions situated at the intersection of constitutional law, European law, international law and institutional governance.

Fisnik Korenica is also a Member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, a position he has held since September 2022. Alongside his academic and international engagements, he now practices law with PRI Legal & Partners, bringing his experience in public law, international law, institutional reform and complex legal analysis into professional legal practice.

His academic formation includes studies in Kosovo, the United Kingdom and Belgium. He obtained his Bachelor of Laws from the Faculty of Law of the University of Prishtina. He subsequently completed a Master of Arts at the University of Sussex, where his research examined patterns of democratisation in post-communist states. He later earned a PhD in International Law from the Faculty of Law and Criminology of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. His doctoral thesis examined the European Union’s accession to the European Convention on Human Rights, with particular attention to the relationship between the autonomy of the EU legal order and the Strasbourg system of human rights protection. Following his doctorate, he continued his post-doctoral research at the Fundamental Rights & Constitutionalism Research Group at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, focusing particularly on EU external relations law.

His research experience has also included participation in international and inter-university research networks, such as “The Global Challenge of Human Rights Integration: Towards a Users’ Perspective,” involving universities including Ghent University, Université libre de Bruxelles, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, University of Antwerp, Université Saint-Louis–Bruxelles and Utrecht University. He has also served as an ENGAGE Fellow at the Centre for European Policy Studies in Brussels, where his work addressed questions of EU law, the rule of law and the establishment of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office.

Korenica’s research expertise is concentrated in constitutional law and constitutional justice, public international law, EU constitutional and external relations law, European human rights law, the relationship between domestic and international legal orders, judicial politics, rule of law and institutional reform. A recurring focus of his scholarship has been the interaction between different legal systems and judicial institutions, particularly the relationship between the Court of Justice of the European Union and the European Court of Human Rights, the constitutional reception of international law, and the role of constitutional courts in transitional and post-conflict settings. His work has also addressed statehood, sovereignty, democratic institutions, minority representation, political parties, judicial reform and European integration.

He has authored and co-authored more than thirty articles in international peer-reviewed journals and has published books with international academic publishers, including Kluwer Law and Springer. Among his more recent journal publications are those published in the German Law Journal, in Public Law, in the International Journal of Human Rights, etc. Earlier publications include journal articles in the European Constitutional Law Review, European Public Law, Maastricht Journal of European and Comparative Law, European Human Rights Law Review, International Human Rights Law Review, Heidelberg Journal of International Law, and the International Journal of Constitutional Law.

Beyond academia, Korenica has substantial experience in legal and public-policy work. From 2011 to 2019, he served as Executive Director and Senior Research Fellow at the Group for Legal and Political Studies, where he was involved in research management, institutional development, policy analysis and engagement with domestic and international institutions. His work covered European integration, rule-of-law reform, institutional capacity, legal approximation, justice-sector reform and public administration.

Between 2021 and 2024, he also served as a Norwegian-funded senior expert in the context of the EU-facilitated Kosovo–Serbia dialogue in Brussels, participating as part of Kosovo’s expert delegation and providing legal and policy advice on issues including international law, interstate relations, statehood, sovereignty, treaty obligations, dispute resolution, European integration and implementation of negotiated arrangements. His professional experience additionally includes advisory and expert assignments for the Council of Europe, GIZ, OSCE, WB, USAID-supported programmes, EU-funded projects and other international organisations, particularly in legislative drafting, justice reform, legal approximation, institutional capacity building, digitalisation of justice systems and strategic policy planning.

He has also contributed to comparative and regional research on constitutional courts in the Western Balkans, examining their role as institutional and political actors in periods of democratic transition, as well as research on political parties, electoral systems and democratic consolidation in Kosovo and Albania. These academic and professional engagements have enabled him to work across the boundaries of doctrinal legal research, comparative public law and applied policy analysis.

His work therefore brings together university teaching and research, international legal engagement, institutional and policy experience, and legal practice. Across these roles, his principal areas of interest remain constitutional justice, European and international law, human rights, rule of law, judicial institutions, democratic governance and the legal dimensions of European integration.

INTERNATIONAL PUBLICATIONS

Books with international publishing houses:

1. (September 2015) ‘The EU Accession to ECHR: Between Luxembourg’s search for autonomy and Strasbourg’s credibility on human rights protection’. Springer International

2. (April 2012) ‘Constitutional Law in Kosovo’ (co-author, Dren Doli) Amsterdam: Kluwer Law International

Journal articles with international peer-review journals:

1. (2023) "“Two Courts” for One Constitution: Fragmentation of Constitutional Review in the Law of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague’, German Law Journal, Vol. 24.2: 385-401 (Co-author)

2. (2022) ‘Between Yes and No: Review of International Law in Kosovo’s Constitutional Court Jurisprudence’, Public Law, April 2022 Issue, p. 269-288;

3. (2022) ‘Limitation of rights in the times of the COVID-19 pandemic: a view from Kosovo’s Constitutional Court’s ‘shaky’ jurisprudence’, International Journal of Human Rights, DOI: 10.1080/13642987.2022.2066081, (co-author with Bardhyl Hasanpapaj)

4. (2020) ‘“Advise and Rule” or “Rule by Advising”: The Changing Nature of the Advisory Jurisdiction of the Constitutional Court of Kosovo’, German Law Journal, Vol. 21 (8): 1570 – 1585

5. (2021) ‘The" Struggle" to Dissolve the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in the Hague: Stuck between Constitutional Text and Mission to Pursue Justice’, Law & Prac. Int'l Cts. & Tribunals, Vol. 20. p. 548 (Co-author)

6. (2018) ‘TTIP's Judicature in the Light of Opinion 2/13’. European Public Law, Vol. 24 (1): 73-98

7. (2017) ‘The CJEU likes to blame loudly and to applaud quietly: the co-respondent mechanism in the light of Opinion 2/13’, Maastricht Journal of European and Comparative Law, Vol. 24 (1): 86-107 (Co- author with Dren Doli)

8. (2016) The EU-engineered hybrid and international Specialist Court in Kosovo: How ‘special’ is it?’ European Constitutional Law Review, Vol. 12, no. 3, December 2016 (Co-author with Argjend Zhubi and Dren Doli).

9. (2016) ‘No more unconditional “mutual trust” between the Member States: an analysis of the landmark decision of the CJEU in Aranyosi and Caldararu’. European Human Rights Law Review, No.5, pp. 542-555 (Co- author with Dren Doli)

10. (2016) ‘The New Kosovo and Its Relationship with the European Convention on Human Rights: Consitutionalization “Without” Ratification in Post- Conflict Societies’ Heidelberg Journal of International Law (Co-author with Paul de Hert)

11. (2016) ‘A View on CJEU Opinion 2/13’s Unclear Stance on and Dislike of Protocol 16 ECHR’. European Public Law, Vol. 22, No. 2, pp. 269–286. (Co- author with Dren Doli)

12.  (2015) ‘“Not Taking Rights Seriously”. Opting for the Primacy of EU Law over Broader Human Rights Protection: Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) Opinion 2/13’s ‘Unserious’ Stance on Article 53 EU Charter of Fundamental Rights’ Relationship to Article 53 ECHR’, International Human Rights Law Review. (Co- author with Dren Doli)

13. (2015) ‘The EU’s parliamentary representation in light of Strasbourg Court’s Sejdic and Zornić standards: is there tendency for a new parliamentary order in the EU? in (eds. Kużelewska et al) European Judicial Systems As A Challenge For Democracy, Cambridge: Intersentia; (Co- author with Dren Doli)

14. (2015) ‘European Union accession to the European Convention on Human Rights. Regulating the multi-layered European human rights space and pushing for more international liability for the Union’. Zeitschrift für öffentliches Recht. Vol 70, no. 1; (Co-author with Paul de Hert)

15. 2013) ‘The Consociational System of Democracy in Kosovo: Questioning Ethnic Minorities’ Special Status in Kosovo’s Constitutional Regime’. International Journal of Public Administration, Vol. 36, pp. 601–613

16. (April 2012) ‘The Post-Independence Civil Service in Kosovo: A Message of Politicization’. International Review of Administrative Sciences, Dhjetor 2012. (Co-author with Dren Doli and Artan Rugova)

17. (April 2012) ‘The Relationship Between International Treaties and Domestic Law: A View from Albanian Constitutional Law and Practice’. Pace International Law Review, 2012. (Co-author Dren Doli)

18. (June 2012) ‘Individual Complaint Mechanism as a Means to Protecting Fundamental Human Rights and Freedoms: The Case of the Constitutional Court of Kosovo’. European Yearbook of Human Rights, 2012. (Co-author with Enver Hasani and Dren Doli)

19. (June 2012) ‘The relationship between Luxembourg and Strasbourg in light of the Doctrine of Equivalent Protection: Searching for the Legitimate Interest’. German Law Journal, 2012. (Co-author with Paul de Hert)

20. (2011) ‘The Relationship Between International Law and National Law in The Case Of Kosovo: A Constitutional Perspective’. International Journal of Constitutional Law. Vol. 9, nr. 1.(Co-author with Visar Morina and Dren Doli)

21. (2011) ‘Taking Care of Strasbourg: The Status of the European Convention on Human Rights and the Case-Law of the European Court of Human Rights in Kosovo’s Domestic Legal System’. Liverpool Law Review. Vol. 32, No. 3. (Co-author Dren Doli)

22. (2011) ‘The 2009 Parliamentary Elections in Albania’ Electoral Studies, Vol. 30, No. 1. (Co-author Dren Doli)

23. (2011) ‘Constitutional Rigidity in Kosovo: Significance, Outcomes, and Rationale’. Pace International Law Review. Vol. 23, no. 1. (Co-author Dren Doli)

24. (2011) ‘The Past and Present: A Note on the Civil Service of Kosovo: Discussing its Design, Independence, and Management’. International Journal of Public Administration. Vol. 34, No. 6. (Co-author with Dren Doli and Artan Rugova)

25. (2011) ‘What about the Kosovo Constitution: is there anything special? Discussing the grundnorm, the sovereignty and the consociational model of employed democracy’. Vienna Journal of International Constitutional Law. Vol. 5, no. 1. (Co-author Dren Doli)

26. (2010) ‘Kosovar Constitutional Court’s Jurisdiction: Searching for Strengths and Weaknesses’. German Law Journal. Vol. 11: no. 8. (Co-author Dren Doli)

27. (2010) ‘Establishing Protection Mechanisms for Bureaucrats: The Case of the Independent Oversight Board of Civil Service of Kosovo’. European Journal of Law Reform. Vol. 12: no. 1. (Co-author with Dren Doli and Artan Rugova)

28. (2010) ‘The Politics of Constitutional Design in Divided Societies: The Case of Kosovo’. Croatian Yearbook of European Law and Policy. Vol. 6. (Co-author Dren Doli)

29. (2010) ‘Europe and the Albanian Parliamentary Election of June 2009’. Royal Institute of International Affairs and the European Parties Elections and Referendums Network (EPERN) (Sussex European Institute). Election Briefing no. 56. (Co-author Dren Doli)

30. (2010) ‘Calling Kosovo’s Constitution: A Legal Review’. The Denning Law Journal. Vol. 22: no. 1. (Co-author Dren Doli)

31. (2010) ‘Calling for independence. To what extent is the composition of the competition authorities politicized: the case of Western Balkans countries’. International Journal of Law and Management. Vol. 52: no. 5. (Co-author Dren Doli)

32. Fisnik Korenica (2010) ‘Pointing the rule-of-law in a transitional polity: the case of Kosovo’s law on the constitutional court’. Contemporary Issues in Law. Vol 3, no. 3

33. (2010) ‘The Double Face of the European Union: How Distinctive Is the EU Foreign Policy Towards Kosovo?’ Journal of Eurasian Law. Vol. 3, no. 3

34. (2010) ‘How powerful are EULEX judges and prosecutors in Kosovo’. Revista General De Derecho Penal. November, no. 14. (Co-author Dren Doli)

Other papers and blogs:

1. (2021) ‘Lessons for the Kurti government in the Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue’, European Council on Foreign Relations

2. (2021) ‘25 Jahre Friedensabkommen von Dayton: Wie sieht der Weg aus zu einer zukunftsfähigen Vereinbarung?’, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung

3. (2020) ‘Guest Post: Negotiations on EU Accession to the ECHR Restart after Five Years: Between Unlikely and Doable’, ECHR Blog, available at: https://www.echrblog.com/2020/10/guest-post-negotiations-on-eu-accession.html

4. (2019) ‘Serbia and Kosovo: Realistic steps towards normalisation instead of quick fixes’, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung

5. (2018) ‘The Establishment of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office: A note on its legal and policy perspective, and its possible role in the Western Balkans’, CEPS Papers in Liberty and Security in Europe, available at: https://www.ceps.eu/ceps-publications/establishment-european-public-prosecutors-office-note-its-legal-and-policy-perspective/