Digital Commons Network^™

Has Russia Killed Article 2(4)? Evaluating The Effectiveness Of The Prohibition Of The Use Of Force In The Conduct Of International Affairs, Dr. Graham Melling

San Diego International Law Journal

The February 24, 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia represents an unambiguous breach of the United Nations Charter´s prohibition of the use of force. The significance of the prohibition of the use of force between States cannot be overstated and is recognised in practice and legal doctrine as being “one of the core values of the international community”. However, argument has been made that the United Nations Charter´s rules prohibiting the use of force are no longer relevant to the conduct of international affairs, especially involving major powers. It could be argued that by their conduct States have repudiated the …

Is Organized Gambling A Threat To The Integrity Of Transnational Individual Sport Competitions?, Ilias Bantekas

San Diego International Law Journal

Match-fixing is egregious at the mid and lower tiers of professional and semi-professional individual sports, particularly, if not exclusively, where the relevant governing body allows real time gambling of matches and tournaments at these lower tiers. Evidence demonstrates that in sports such as tennis and badminton, the bulk of the prize money is distributed to a small minority of athletes at the top tier and instances of match-fixing there are rare as a result. There are, however, many thousands of athletes at the lower tiers that are unable to make ends meet and whose expenses far outweigh any meagre prize …

International Conformity To The Standard Minimum Age Of Criminal Responsibility: Comparing The Minimum Age Of Criminal Responsibility To The Minimum Legal Age Of Marriage, Malea Casillas

San Diego International Law Journal

As this data shows, countries across the globe, irrespective of culture, comply with and uphold the international MLAM. In contrast, they simultaneously fail to agree to the international MACR. The universal conformity with the international MLAM demonstrates that countries understand the negative consequences of marriage at a young age and care to protect children against child marriage. However, the even lower MACRs across the globe indicate that most of our world values prosecution over protection and likely sees offender first and child second.

This Comment will argue that MACR and MLAM should be recognized as similar legal concepts that are …

Free Speech Censorship In The Philippines: The Push To Decriminalize Libel, Carter Cordura

San Diego International Law Journal

Philippine criminal libel law is unjustly being used to suppress and censor the media and press; libel should be decriminalized and redefined to uphold the ideals of due process and freedom of expression enumerated in the Philippine Constitution.

This Comment takes a deep dive into Philippine libel law and argues for its decriminalization and redefining from an international perspective.

Poland's Rule Of Law Snowball: The Increasing Severity Of The Rift Between Poland And The European Union, Ronan A. Nelson

San Diego International Law Journal

This Comment will analyze one of the most recent bouts between the EC and Poland in their ongoing struggle over the image of European democracy, rule of law, and national sovereignty: the European Court of Justice’s June 2021 decision in Commission v. Poland. The EU’s conceptions of western democracy and rule of law, including strict adherence to the impartiality of a judicial branch, created the EC’s legal theory for taking a stand against Poland’s autocratic government. However, Poland’s ultimate sovereignty, brought to heightened attention thanks to its far-right leadership, stands in stark opposition to the perceived overreach of the …

Make White-Collar-Offenders Pay (Additional) Tax And Subject Them To Technological Incarceration Instead Of Being A Tax Burden On Society, Mirko Bagaric, Theo Alexander, Brienna Bagaric

San Diego International Law Journal

White-collar offenders do not scare people. There is no reason to be afraid of them. Yet, they are subjected to the most serious sanction in our legal system – prison. Every white-collar prisoner costs society over $30,000 annually. Rather than punishing white-collar offenders in a way that further depletes the public revenue, we should compel them to remedy the damage they have caused by paying additional tax. There are more intelligent, evidence-based approaches to dealing with white-collar offenders. The objectives for dealing with white-collar offenders should be to impose penalties that are proportionate to the seriousness of the crimes; ensure …

Strengthening International Institutions By Enforcing Norms: The Way Forward For Prosecuting Aggression, Dr. Nadia Ahmad

San Diego International Law Journal

Strengthening institutions that enforce the prohibition on the use of force and prevent aggressive acts of war should be a priority in international law, as it struggles to respond collectively to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Aggression is both prohibited in the Charter of the United Nations and in the Rome Statute, and the United Nations Security Council is blocking enforcement action in both international institutions. This Article explores alternative avenues of accountability for the crime of aggression in international law, and recommends the United Nations General Assembly, with the government of Ukraine, establish a hybrid international tribunal for aggression …

End Crime With Harm? Castration For Sexual Offenders In Hong Kong, Max Hua Chen

San Diego International Law Journal

The issue of post-conviction treatment of sex offenders has been the subject of debate and changes to State legislation, particularly in respect of paedophile offences. One such treatment method is through chemical or physical castration on either a mandatory or a voluntary basis. In this regard, some States have implemented these measures for certain paedophile offences. Hong Kong (HK) has no such laws in place. Researchers such as William Winslade and his colleagues highlighted that whilst paedophilia may not be a stringently defined condition, it is one which involves a “reinforcing [pattern] of sexual behaviors,” with the result that sexual …

A Path Forward To #Niunamenos Based On An Intersectional Analysis Of Laws Criminalizing Femicide/Feminicide In Latin America, Melissa Padilla

San Diego International Law Journal

Since 2007, eighteen Latin American countries have enacted laws that criminalize femicide/‌feminicide in an effort to address gender-based murders in the region and to uphold their obligations under international human rights law. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and its systemic lingering effects exacerbated the existent dangerous levels of gender-based violence in the region, resulting in an increase in gender-based murders. To address these murders, between 2020 and 2021, a quarter of the eighteen Latin American countries that criminalized femicide/‌feminicide have implemented or are in the process of implementing reforms to their laws criminalizing femicide/‌feminicide. Given this new trend to address the …

Long Live Joint Criminal Enterprise: With A Particular Reference To Tadić’S Interactive Construction Between “The Beast” And Specific Direction, Miguel Ângelo Loureiro Manero De Lemos

San Diego International Law Journal

The idea that Joint Criminal Enterprise, in particular its extended version, contravenes fundamental principles of criminal law has gained track. Thus, not only did the International Criminal Court distance itself from the construct but, today, the widely held view is that the extended version should be discarded, not least because it is not grounded in customary international law. This Article challenges that view. While addressing scholarly criticism towards Joint Criminal Enterprise, and demonstrating why the “beast” is a solid construction, it argues that prosecutors and judges must look past the written provisions of the Statute of the International Criminal Court …

Deportations For Drug Convictions In The United States And The European Union: Creating A More Compassionate Approach Toward Drug Convictions In The Immigration Law, Megan Smith

San Diego International Law Journal

This Comment begins by examining and comparing the legal framework for deportation and other immigration consequences for convictions of drug offenses in the United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom. This Comment then looks at the harsh effects of current immigration policy on individuals and marginalized communities. Finally, this Comment argues that immigration law should be reformed to adopt a more humanitarian approach toward non-citizens convicted of drug offenses. Deportation and other harsh immigration consequences for drug offenses levy disproportionately severe punishments toward vulnerable minority immigrant communities, exposing them to consequences much harsher than non-immigrants would face for …

K-Pop’S Secret Weapon: South Korea’S Criminal Defamation Laws, Rebecca Xu

San Diego International Law Journal

South Korea’s criminal defamation laws have long been considered an intrusion on the free speech rights of citizens, especially in regard to the usage by politicians against their opponents and journalists to suppress criticisms. This Comment considers the history and effects of these controversial defamation laws through the lens of recent scandals within the Korean entertainment industry, where regular citizens accusing Korean celebrities of past school violence are confronted with threats of defamation charges. To highlight the controversial nature of such laws, comparisons will be drawn between South Korea and other countries to highlight the restrictive nature of Korea’s laws.

International Law, Corruption And The Rights Of Children In Africa, John Mukum Mbaku

San Diego International Law Journal

In adopting the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (“African Child Charter”) on July 1, 1990, Africans, through the Organization of African Unity, officially recognized the need to guarantee the fundamental rights of all children. They also imposed obligations on all African States to recognize the rights, freedoms and duties enshrined in the African Child Charter and required States to take all necessary measures to give effect to these rights. To aid in the realization of these rights, each African State was expected to domesticate the African Child Charter and create rights that are justiciable in …

Comparing Social Media Content Regulation In The Us And The Eu: How The Us Can Move Forward With Section 230 To Bolster Social Media Users’ Freedom Of Expression, Trent Scheurman

San Diego International Law Journal

This Article will compare 47 U.S.C. § 230 (“Section 230”), the United States law governing civil claims that prevent social media companies from being treated like the publishers of their own users’ posts and the companies’ abilities to remove user posts, with the European Union’s (“EU”) equivalent governing law, the E-commerce Directive. The E-Commerce Directive will be used as an example of a governmental regulation that better prevents viewpoint discrimination, but at the cost of a lower standard of user expression. A lower standard of user expression means diminished rights in exercising free speech, as exemplified by the EU outlawing …

Facial Recognition Technology And Privacy: Race And Gender - How To Ensure The Right To Privacy Is Protected, Lindsey Jacques

San Diego International Law Journal

This Article specifically focuses on the use of FRT by the five permanent members of the United Nations (“UN”) Security Council which are China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States (the five nations). As permanent members of the Security Council, these five nations are tasked with maintaining international security under the UN Charter.

National leaders in these countries are forced to face the question of whether the national security mitigating benefits of FRT outweigh the privacy and equity concerns the technology imposes for populations often considered the most vulnerable. This Article proposes solutions to this …

These Kids Need Lawyers: Why And How The United States Must Provide The Right To Appointed Counsel For Detained Unaccompanied Children, Adrielli Ferrer

San Diego International Law Journal

Children throughout the world are fleeing home situations of violence and seeking safety in the United States. Some children begin their migration with their families, only to find that some family members do not survive the journey, while others are separated by the United States government upon arrival. Some children are so driven by fear and desperation that they flee without family at all. Alone in the United States, unaccompanied children are a hyper vulnerable population. Exacerbating matters, upon encountering law enforcement, they are locked and contained within “secure facilities,” or detention centers. What can be done to aid detained …

The Corporate-Consumer Power Dynamic Operating Behind The International Intellectual Property Regime: An Intractable Development Model With Uneven Results, Jefferson T. Stamp

San Diego International Law Journal

The corporate-consumer power dynamic operating behind the international intellectual property regime has created a development model that perpetuates the hegemonic power of corporate elites and their governmental agents at the expense of developing nations. The inequity of the regime seems to be rooted in the paradoxical delegation of exclusive intellectual property rights to private corporate interests who dispense knowledge as a global public good. However, the inequality actually begins with the inception of knowledge itself and is the consequence of natural exclusivity over one’s own thoughts and creations, including how those ideas are conveyed to the public sphere. The freedom …

Yes, Chickens Have Feelings Too. The Recognition Of Animal Sentience Will Address Outdated Animal Protection Laws For Chickens And Other Poultry In The United States, Jessica Park

San Diego International Law Journal

The cages on the truck rattle vigorously with every bump and crevice on the road. The sun continues to blaze while a young, oversized chicken barely finds the strength to stand upright. It cannot support its own hormone-induced weight, and it is crammed against the corner after losing a battle with other chickens for more space. Over twenty-four hours have elapsed since its last meal or drink.

Chickens have adapted and grown alongside the development and industrialization of the United States, and their companionship even predates the official creation of the nation itself. The current state of animal welfare legislation …

Protection Of Witnesses And Sensitive Information In U.K. Criminal Prosecutions, Eric Waage

San Diego International Law Journal

This Article examines the film Closed Circuit, as it portrays the legal issues surrounding a British judge’s decision to hold a hearing in camera. As in the United States, holding in camera hearings safeguards the use of witnesses and protects confidential information before it is shared with all parties to a criminal case or the jury. Closed Circuit accurately portrays some aspects of the United Kingdom’s legal standards that govern these hearings including the judicial deference to the Crown’s national security interests, the appointment of cleared special counsel to represent the accused, and the use of pseudonyms to protect …

Applying The "War On Terror" To The "War On Drugs:" The Legal Implications And Benefits Of Recategorizing Latin American Drug Cartels As Foreign Terrorist Organizations, Madison Standon

San Diego International Law Journal

This Comment analyzes, and ultimately rejects, the proposal for reclassifying Latin American Drug Cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. Section I provides a brief history about the War on Drugs, the ineffectiveness of the policies implemented to combat the War on Drugs, and a brief history about the War on Terror. Section II discusses applicable international and domestic laws, including the Geneva Conventions, international human rights law, U.S. terrorism laws, U.S. drug laws, and U.S. case law. Section III considers whether Latin American Drug Cartels can be recategorized as Foreign Terrorist Organizations under current the current statutory scheme, analyzes how international …

Re-Conceptualizing The International Human Right To Health: An Analysis Of The Trends In Developing And Developed Countries’ Responses To Substance Use Disorders, Leonard Mukosi

San Diego International Law Journal

This Article juxtaposes addiction paradigms seen in the United States of America and Zimbabwe, two countries with diametrically dissimilar political, economic, and social systems. Thus, an insight is provided by this Article into how developing and developed countries are transitioning from punitive to curative approaches in addressing the problem of drug addiction. Positing that addiction is a health condition, this Article recognizes the optimum realization of the addict’s right to health is best met if the required international standards of health are implemented nationally to insure, treat, and evaluate addiction like other chronic illnesses.

Drug addiction is a brain disease …

Designing A Standard Assets Registration System To Reduce Corruption In Afghanistan: What Afghanistan Can Learn From Examining Model Assets Declaration Systems, Zalmay Mallyar

San Diego International Law Journal

Corruption in Afghanistan has emerged as one the greatest challenges to strengthening national and subnational governance and rebuilding a transparent and accountable system public services. One way that corrupt actors in Afghanistan have perpetuated corrupt practices is through hiding assets. Currently, Afghanistan has no specific mechanism or system for implementing or overseeing the declaration of assets—even though it has committed to creating an assets declaration criteria system as a means to fight corruption under Article 154 of the Afghan Constitution, Article 12 of the Anti-Corruption Strategy act, and various international treaties. This paper recommends that that Afghanistan seek to create …

Remedies For United States-Mexico Cross-Border Incidents, Sebastian A. Navarro

San Diego International Law Journal

Countries that share borders inevitably encounter issues with each other. The United States and Mexico, however, face a uniquely complicated issue: United States federal officers standing in United States territory have shot and killed individuals standing in Mexican territory, generating much tension between the United States and Mexico. Some believe that a remedy for cross-border incidents is best addressed through litigation in United States federal courts, particularly through common law causes of action that afford monetary compensation based on claims of constitutional violations. This issue was recently addressed in part by the United States Supreme Court.

Nonetheless, there are numerous …

Restricting Your Right To Boycott: Free Speech Implications Regarding Legislation Targeting The Boycott, Divestment, And Sanctions (Bds) Movement In The United States And The European Union, Jad Essayli

San Diego International Law Journal

On December 11, 2019, President Trump signed Executive Order 13899, which directs government agencies charged with enforcing Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to adopt a distorted definition of antisemitism intended to censor advocacy for Palestinian rights. The order conflates political criticism of the state of Israel with antisemitism—the primary reason why past attempts to pass similar legislation in Congress have consistently failed. Nonetheless, this uniliteral action taken by the President to redefine antisemitism as a means to censure criticism of Israeli polices raises genuine legal concern. Particularly considering that the same year, on February 4, 2019, the United …

Sanctuary, Safe Harbor And Aylum, But Is It Available For Domestic Violence Victims? The Analysis Of Domestic Violence Asylum Seekers In The United States And Internationally, Lauren Lee

San Diego International Law Journal

This Comment aims to interpret the United States’ asylum laws that impact domestic violence victims and analyze the effect they have both domestically and globally on those victims. Additionally, this Comment will analyze and compare Sweden, Germany, and Canada’s asylum laws and policies with United States’ asylum laws and policies in order to provide a comprehensive analysis of the effects these countries’ asylum laws have on their societies. Finally, this Comment will provide judicial and legislative recommendations to replace the current United States asylum policy with one that incorporates a domestic violence victim’s right to be granted asylum or receive …

Is The Law Of War Changing In The Twenty-First Century?, Waseem Ahmad Qureshi

San Diego International Law Journal

The main purpose of drafting the law of war was to maintain peace and security around the world. That is why the current legal framework prohibits the use of force, except in accordance with the right to self-defence or with United Nations Security Council (UNSC) authorization. Yet, this century has been in a perpetual state of war. In the past, there have been certain deviations from this proscription on the use of force through the introduction of notions like ‘pre-emptive self-defence’ and the ‘responsibility to protect’ (R2P), according to which states could use unilateral force against other states without UNSC …

Fcpa Actions In China And China’S Anti-Bribery Law, Yu Chen

San Diego International Law Journal

In recent decades, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has greatly improved its enforcement of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). Some of these FCPA enforcement cases involve China. Given China’s prominence as a center of global business, this trend is likely to increase in the foreseeable future.

Section I of this Article briefly reviews the provisions of the FCPA, and recent FCPA enforcement in China. Section II discusses China’s anti- bribery law regime, anti-bribery provisions and agencies enforcing bribery and corruption. Section III focuses on an analysis of FCPA cases involving China, in addition to describing the …

Fourth- And Fifth-Generation Warfare: Technology And Perceptions, Waseem Ahmad Qureshi

San Diego International Law Journal

The composition of warfare is changing. There is an increasing transformation in the traditional aspects of waging a war: conventional techniques of warfare are in decline and newer tactics and tools of warfare, such as information warfare, asymmetric warfare, media propaganda, and hybrid warfare, are filling the gap, blurring the lines between combatant and noncombatant, and between wartime and peacetime. The basic framework of modern warfare was elaborated by Carl von Clausewitz in his magnus opus On War. He defined modern warfare between states as “a duel on larger scale,” and explained its purpose as “a continuation of politics by …

Pay Her More! How Sex And Motherhood Play A Role In The Unequal Pay Of Women On The World Stage, Raquel S. Zilbeman

San Diego International Law Journal

“[O]vert pay discrimination between women and men” is what typically comes to mind when one thinks about the gender wage gap. While women often ask for “equal pay for equal work,” gender discrimination is only responsible for a small amount of the pay gap. “The gender wage gap is also about choice and opportunity. . . . [It is] rooted in [global] social norms about women[,] family [and motherhood which constantly change and evolve—making it] much harder to solve.” It is grounded in the way our society has evolved over the last one hundred and fifty years, during which more …

Don’T Google It: The European Union’S Antitrust Parade (“Enforcement”) Against America’S Tech Giants, Mariah Witt

San Diego International Law Journal

This Article details several case studies, each exemplifying the EU’s pro- competition practices versus the American monopoly-like corporations of Google, Microsoft, and Amazon. The EU claims that each of these companies have abused their dominant position in their respective markets. Many companies (including those not listed in this comment) that have faced the EU’s antitrust wrath are merely the successful giants of their field, who should be enjoying their success, not sitting in fear of success’s implications in the global arena. This comment will conclude with a warning to future American corporations on the path to monopoly-like power and status …