Digital Commons Network^™

Book Review: The Many Faces Of Power: An International Law Response To Robert Kagan’S “Of Paradise And Power”, Jason G. Morgan-Foster

ExpressO

After summarizing the main points of Kagan’s book, the review responds to Kagan’s perception of power using the assumptions of international law, contrasting his definition of power to that of several international legal scholars. It then places Kagan’s realist approach in a broader context of international relations and international legal theory, beginning with a discussion of challenges to realism, and concluding with an examination of the growing body of “integrationist” literature which posits that the fields of international law and international relations are merging. The review then returns to the question of power, examining ways in which Kagan’s book challenges …

United States Citizens Detained As "Enemy Combatants": The Right To Counsel As A Matter Of Ethics, Jesselyn A. Radack

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

The Supreme Court will decide as a matter of law whether an American citizen detained as an enemy combatant has the right to counsel. The author argues that as a matter of ethics, the answer is clear - there is a right to counsel. In this Article, the author analyzes the cases regarding Jose Padilla and Yaser Esam Hamdi discusses ABA Model Rule 4.2, and its application, and proposes an amendment to Rule 4.2's Comment.

The Political Economy Of International Antitrust Harmonization, John O. Mcginnis

William & Mary Law Review

No abstract provided.

Benin’S Constitutional Court: An Institutional Model For Enforcing Human Rights, Anna Rotman

ExpressO

This piece is based on field research the author conducted in Benin, West Africa during January 2003. The paper explores how the Court operates as a hybrid institution, by combining the competences traditionally associated with a constitutional court with the mandate of a national human rights commission. The paper argues that the Beninese Constitutional Court could provide an institutional model for guaranteeing human rights through a state-sponsored institution.

Trial Of The Accused Taliban And Al Qaeda Operatives Captured In Afghanistan And Detained On A U.S. Military Base In Cuba, Jaime Jackson

ExpressO

A timely piece proposing solutions for issues certain to be raised in the upcoming trials of the accused Taliban and Al Qaeda operatives captured in Afghanistan and detained on a U.S. military base in Cuba. In the article, I begin by examining the history and jurisdiction of Article I and Article III courts and then address the history and structure of the Al Qaeda and Taliban regimes. After considering the Constitution, federal statutes, politics, and geographical limitations, I conclude that Al Qaeda detainees should be tried in Article III courts under terrorism statutes and Taliban detainees, as military combatants, should …

Atca, Doe V. Unocal: A Paquete Habana Approach To The Rescue, John Haberstroh

ExpressO

The article's centerpiece is the Ninth Circuit litigation (Doe v. Unocal) charging Unocal Corp. with complicity in the Burma’s government’s use of forced labor. The article first examines the Alien Tort Claims Act, under which the action is brought, through an exploration of that statute’s original purpose and historical context. The article then looks at the modern revival of ATCA in international human rights claims, and finally closely considers the Unocal litigation, in particular the September 18, 2002 decision favoring the plaintiffs. (The 2002 decision is undergoing review by an en banc panel of the Ninth Circuit, with the panel’s …

Universal Jurisdiction And Drug Trafficking: A Tool For Fighting One Of The World's Most Pervasive Problems , Anne H. Geraghty

ExpressO

Universal jurisdiction allows any state to exercise jurisdiction to prosecute a suspect wherever he is found, regardless of the location of his crimes, his nationality, or any other contacts with the prosecuting state. This article proposes that the United States and the international community should take two major steps toward embracing universal jurisdiction as a possible means of combatting drug trafficking. First, states should adopt an additional protocol to the 1988 United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances clearly establishing universal jurisdiction for drug trafficking and thereby filling jurisdictional gaps in existing treaty law. Second, …

Barbarians At The Gates: A Post-September 11th Proposal To Rationalize The Laws Of War, William C. Bradford

ExpressO

My article, Barbarians at the Gates: A Proposal to Rationalize the Laws of War. The piece proposes that in the War on Terror a new approach to the laws of war is necessary to harmonize the functional purpose of the law of war with the nature of the threat presented by terrorism to civilization.

Freedom From Fear: Prosecuting The Iraqi Regime For The Use Of Chemical Weapons, Margaret A. Sewell

ExpressO

Since the recent war with Iraq, there is a lingering question as to how to prosecute Saddam Hussein (if captured) and the Iraqi regime for their past atrocities, particularly, the use of chemcial weapons against Iran during the Iran-Iraq War and the Kurds. This article provides a background of the crimes committed by the Iraqi regime, a discussion and recommendation of the various proseution fora, as well as a presentation of the evidence that can be used in a prosecution.

The Guise Of Justice: Jurisdiction & Extradition Of Osama Bin Laden & Al Qaeda Terrorists, Matthew Greenwell

ExpressO

No abstract provided.

The Military -Judicial Nexus In Response To Terrorism: Kkk And Alqaeda, Wayne Mccormack

ExpressO

In considering the validity of "enemy combatant" status and military detention for alleged terrorists, several additional propositions emerge. Indefinite military detention of a US citizen arrested on US soil for a domestic crime is far beyond the pale of basic constitutional underpinnings. With respect to noncitizens and citizens captured overseas, military power is arguable but far from solid. In that event, why not take the route that does the least disruption to our system? Second, because the law abhors incoherence, we should be able to make coherent distinctions among alleged terrorists for the purpose of deciding who is tried in …

The Last Line Of Defense: The Doctrine Of Command Responsibility, Gender Crimes In Armed Conflict, And The Kahan Report (Sabra & Shatilla), Sherrie L. Russell-Brown

ExpressO

“THE LAST LINE OF DEFENSE” addresses using the doctrine of command responsibility - the doctrine according to which military and non-military leaders can be held individually criminally responsible for the crimes committed by their subordinates - before the International Criminal Court (ICC) as a way to prevent gender crimes in armed conflict. The prevention of gender crimes in armed conflict is an important issue for a variety of reasons. One extremely important reason is the connection that the United Nations has cited between the AIDS pandemic in Sub-Saharan Africa and rape in armed conflict. In addition, in the August 25, …

Ecocide And Genocide In Iraq: International Law, The Marsh Arabs And Environmental Damage In Non-International Conflicts, Aaron Schwabach

ExpressO

In 1991, after the first Gulf War, the Marsh Arabs of southern Iraq rose up against the Hussein government, with U.S. encouragement. The rebellion failed; in retaliation the government embarked on a massive water diversion project to drain the wetlands. In 1970 the wetlands covered nearly 11,000 square kilometers; today they cover fewer than a thousand. The Marsh Arabs whose ancestors had lived in the wetlands for five thousand years were forced to flee; many died. The drainage of the wetlands was a deliberate and calculated act of genocide and ecocide. At the time, Iraq was a party to several …

The Cambodian Amnesties: Beneficiaries And The Temporal Reach Of Amnesties For Gross Violation Of Human Rights , Ronald C. Slye

ExpressO

This article uses the two amnesties granted by the Cambodian government in 1994 and 1996 to explore two important legal issues raised by amnesties generally: 1) to whom is the amnesty granted; and 2) for how long will the amnesty last.

The first issue addresses the beneficiary question – who is able to take advantage of an amnesty. The most interesting issue raised by the beneficiary question is whether an amnesty should be restricted to either superiors or subordinates. The article discusses this choice in the context of the Cambodian amnesties, other amnesties, and international law, and highlight the moral, …

The Perils Of "Consensus": Hans Kelsen And The Legal Philosophy Of The United Nations, J. Peter Pham

ExpressO

Recently the United States and a number of its traditional allies have clashed over a variety of foreign policy issues that are profoundly juridical: the authority for war and peace, the International Criminal Court, etc. The source of these recent tensions is to be located at a level deeper than that of narrow national interests and specific policies. Rather, they arise from significant differences concerning the nature of "consensus" and, ultimately, legal philosophy. While the United Nations and many other international organizations derive their legal visions from the philosophy of law of Hans Kelsen (1881-1973), one of the most important …

International Poverty Law: A Response To Economic Globalization, Timothy K. Kuhner

ExpressO

This paper is directed at poverty lawyers and, more generally, anyone with an interest in the relationship between poverty and globalization. In this paper, I argue that poverty law needs to expand its scope in order to encompass the international dimensions of poverty, and to thereby become responsive to the current nature of poverty. This need is evident, because wealth and poverty have been globalized, domestic issues have become international issues, and international issues have become domestic issues and produced domestic changes. After establishing these premises, I describe five areas of research and advocacy, each of which is located within …

Punitive Damages: A Comparative Analysis, John Y. Gotanda

Working Paper Series

In light of expanding international trade, it is increasingly likely that politicians, courts and tribunals will wrestle with whether punitive damages are appropriate in transnational disputes, and whether countries that traditionally do no allow exemplary relief should recognize and enforce foreign awards of such damages. Furthermore, by seeing how different systems address these problems, we can gain a deeper understanding of the role of punitive damages in our own legal system and be better able to deal with punitive damages issues in the international arena. This Article undertakes a thorough comparative study of punitive damages in common law countries. It …

Used, Abused, Arrested And Deported: The Case For Extending Immigration Benefits To Protect Victims Of Trafficking And Secure Prosecution Of Traffickers, Dina F. Haynes

ExpressO

Trafficking is a hot issue, and as such, there have been a number of articles written on the issue. My article, however, is unique in many respects.

I address this article from my perspective of working directly with the governments of Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro to combat escalating trafficking in their countries over the course of four years in the Balkans.

This is the first article that pinpoints errors that governments continue to make in preparing legislation and anti-trafficking programs,

The first to enumerate proposals for enhancing victim protection measures,

The first to identify how enhancing victim protection will …

Of Hammers And Saws: The Toolbox Of Federalism And Sources Of Law For The Web, Thomas A. Lane

Student Thesis Honors (1996-2008)

This paper offers a general exploration of the federalist legal toolbox, as currently and potentially applicable to the Web. The paper begins with overviews of the nature of the Web, international law, the federalist system, and non-governmental sources of regulation. Against this backdrop, the paper examines the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the constitutionality of the Child Pornography Prevention Act (CPPA), an act that demonstrates both successes and failures in applying federal law to the Web. Finally, the paper offers suggestions regarding which source of law—international, federal, state, or non-governmental—is best suited to addressing particular legal issues regarding the …

Around The World In Twenty Minutes: International Legal Research On The Web, Anne E. Burnett

Presentations

A researcher in “international law” may need to locate primary sources such as international treaties, decisions of international and domestic tribunals, and foreign laws while also seeking secondary sources such as treatises and articles. The Internet has improved access to foreign and international materials immeasurably in the past few years. Items that formerly were not available in a published format might now be available with a click of the mouse. Many international organizations and countries are now placing primary legal materials on the Web, although not always in English and usually only for recent years. Like other areas of the …

Law Enforcement Cooperation As A 'Transnational Factor' In Cross-Taiwan Strait Relations, Jason A. Blatt

Jason A Blatt

In recent years, political disputes have constantly prevented governments in China and Taiwan from working with each other on important issues of mutual concern. However, cooperation between law enforcement authorities on both sides of the Taiwan Strait has steadily increased over the past decade and a half, regardless of ups and downs in political relations. While governments on both sides are still not speaking to each other, law enforcement authorities are boosting cooperation by sharing information on criminal cases, deporting each other's fugitives, exchanging visits of high-ranking police officials and participating in seminars on cross-strait crime-fighting. Successful cross-strait law enforcement …

The Diaspora Of Ethnic Economies: Beyond The Pale?, Lan Cao

William & Mary Law Review

No abstract provided.

The U.S.-China Rule Of Law Initiative, Paul Gewirtz

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

No abstract provided.

How Well Does The Wto Settle Disputes?, Susan Esserman, Robert L. Howse

Law Quadrangle (formerly Law Quad Notes)

Last fall, a judicial panel of the WorldTrade Organization (WTO) issued a controversial ruling in a high-stakes corporate tax dispute between the United States and the European Union. Paying scant attention to the complexities of the case, the panel authorized Brussels to implement retaliatory sanction of $4 billion - an unprecedented sum - against Washington. Notably, around the same time the United States and its European allies were also making headlines with another fierce legal battle: over the authority of the International Criminal Court to prosecute American soldiers for alleged misdeeds committed abroad.

No. 2 - The Dean Rusk Lectures At The Dean Rusk Center, Eric Stein, Louis Henkin, Abiodun Williams, Manuel Medina Ortega, Gabriel M. Wilner

Occasional Papers Series

The papers delivered by the four distinguished scholars form the content of this second Dean Rusk Center Occasional Paper. Issues of legitimacy-democracy in the activities of integrated international and supranational organizations are dealt with in the first paper by Professor Eric Stein. Professor Louis Henkin offers incisive comparisons and contrasts on the nature and sources of human rights in international law and rights under the Constitution of the United States. The central role of the United Nations in peace operations is explained in the paper by Mr. Abiodun Williams, the director of strategic planning for the office of the Secretary-General …

Article: The Failure Of The Nation State And The New International Economic Order:, Eric A. Engle

Eric A. Engle

Both the New International Economic Order ("NIEO") and the New World Order (NWO) have failed to end poverty in the third world, most notably in Africa. The failure of these two theories, themselves responses to the failure of the Westphalian state system, and the material facts of globalisation present an opportunity to elaborate a new law of nations. Abandoning the Westphalian model is the best way forward, not only because of the technological revolution in the first world, but also for cultural reasons in Africa, where borders almost never correspond to nations.

Non-State Actors In The Nuclear Black Market: Proposing An International Legal Framework For Preventing Nuclear Expertise Proliferation & Nuclear Smuggling By Non-State Actors, Thomas V. Burch

Thomas V. Burch

No abstract provided.

Normativity In International Law: The Case Of Unilateral Humanitarian Intervention, Daphne Richemond-Barak

Daphne Richemond-Barak

This Article argues that the ambiguous normative regime currently governing unilateral humanitarian intervention provides an adequate legal framework for such intervention. The Article reviews the arguments typically made in support of a codified, strict normative regime, finding that strict normativity is unlikely to deter human rights violators more effectively than the current framework. In addition, the Article points out that any effort to codify a norm of unilateral humanitarian intervention faces formidable obstacles. Such an effort must overcome the conflict between the traditional doctrine of state sovereignty and emerging principles of human rights, as well as practical difficulties in reaching …

Western Democracy And Islamic Tradition: The Application Of Shari'a In A Modern World, Melanie D. Reed

American University International Law Review

No abstract provided.

Transitional Commercial Law: The Way Forward, Sandeep Gopalan

American University International Law Review

No abstract provided.