Av. Ayfer Bayer, Hukuk Gündemi- Nisan Mayıs 2026

Monthly Legal Agenda – April / May 2026 In my Monthly Legal Agenda, I have compiled the prominent legislative changes, Constitutional Court annulment decisions, and noteworthy case law of the ECHR, Constitutional Court, Court of Cassation, and Council of State that stood out in the legal world during April and May 2026. I have particularly focused on:  Important changes made by Laws No. 7578 and 7579,  New obligations imposed on digital platforms,  Regulations regarding maternity leave and the protection of children,  Constitutional Court annulment decisions regarding Article 134 of the Criminal Procedure Code, expropriation, and the appeals system,  The ECHR Grand Chamber's decision in the case of Yasak/Turkey,  The Council of State's Administrative Disputes Chamber decision regarding the limits of the expert witness institution,  Current Constitutional Court individual applications, Court of Cassation, and Council of State decisions, and have evaluated them together with their effects on practice. In particular, the decision of the Council of State's Administrative Litigation Chambers Board regarding the limits of the expert witness institution has been evaluated in detail. The decision emphasizes that the expert witness's duty is limited to technical examination and determination, and that assessments with legal consequences, such as determining "primarily at fault," "secondarily at fault," "blameless," or a percentage of fault, are exclusively within the judge's jurisdiction. In this respect, the decision constitutes a precedent that defines the limits of the expert witness institution and significantly clarifies the long-debated distinction between "technical evaluation" and "legal characterization." It would not be correct to limit the scope of the decision solely to administrative litigation. Since the decision is based on the general principles in the Code of Civil Procedure No. 6100 and the Expert Witness Law No. 6754, we can say that it is valid for all branches of the judiciary. For the article "The Non-Delegability of Judicial Authority and the Limits of the Expert Witness Institution - A Current Assessment in Light of the Council of State Administrative Litigation Chambers Board Decision": Attorney Ayfer BAYER: The Non-Delegability of Judicial Authority and the Limits of the Expert Witness Institution - A Current Assessment in Light of the Council of State's Administrative Disputes Chamber Decision - Legal News With the hope that it will be useful to our colleagues and all those interested in working in the field of law. Attorney Ayfer Bayer Istanbul Bar Association