Law Commons^™

‘Emaciated’ Defense Or A Trend To Independence And Equality Of Arms In Internationalized Criminal Tribunals?, Richard J. Wilson

Richard J. Wilson

No abstract provided.

United Nations Observer Mission In South Africa (Unomsa): Security Council Resolutions 772 (1992) And 894 (1994) And The South African Transition: Preventive Diplomacy And Peacekeeping, Muna Ndulo

Muna B Ndulo

No abstract provided.

United Nations Observer Mission In South Africa (Unomsa): Security Council Resolutions 772 (1992) And 894 (1994) And The South African Transition: Preventive Diplomacy And Peacekeeping, Muna Ndulo

Muna B Ndulo

No abstract provided.

International Humanitarian Law: Americas Watch's Experience In Monitoring Internal Armed Conflicts, Robert Kogod Goldman

Robert K. Goldman

No abstract provided.

The Unconvincing Case Against Private Prisons, Malcolm M. Feeley

Malcolm Feeley

In 2009, the Israeli High Court of Justice held that private prisons are unconstitutional. This was more than a domestic constitutional issue. The court anchored its decision in a carefully reasoned opinion arguing that the state has a monopoly on the administration of punishment, and thus private prisons violate basic principles of modern democratic governance. This position was immediately elaborated upon by a number of leading legal philosophers, and the expanded argument has reverberated among legal philosophers, global constitutionalists, and public officials around the world. Private prisons are a global phenomenon, and this argument now stands as the definitive principled …

A Case Ill Suited For Judgment: Constructing 'A Sovereign Access To The Sea' In The Atacama Desert, Christopher Rossi

christopher robert rossi

Abstract: In 2015, the International Court of Justice ruled that Bolivia’s claim against Chile could proceed to the merit stage, setting up this Article’s discussion of perhaps the most intractable border dispute in South American history – Bolivia’s attempt to reclaim from Chile a ‘sovereign access to the Pacific Ocean’. This Article investigates the international law and deeply commingled regional history pertaining to the Atacama Desert region, the hyperarid yet resource-rich region through which Bolivia seeks to secure its long-lost access to the sea. Investigating the factual circumstances (effectivités), the post-colonial international legal principle of uti possidetis …

Human Trafficking And Film: How Popular Portrayals Influence Law And Public Perception, Jonathan Todres

Jonathan Todres

No abstract provided.

Framing The Responsibility To Protect Doctrine As A Means Of Legal And Moral Intervention With Universal Jurisdiction Legal Obligations Of The Responsibility To Protect Doctrine And Universal Civil Jurisdiction In The Syrian Civil War Crisis, David Satnarine

David Satnarine

No abstract provided.

The Complexity Of International Criminal Trials Is Necessary, 48 Geo. Wash. Int'l L. Rev. 151 (2015), Stuart Ford

Stuart Ford

There is a widespread belief among both academics and policymakers that international criminal trials are too complex. As a result, tribunals have come under enormous pressure to reduce the complexity of their trials. However, changes to trial procedure have not meaningfully affected trial complexity. This Article explains why these changes have failed and argues that the complexity of international criminal trials is necessary for them to achieve their purposes. Using a multiple regression model of the factors driving trial complexity at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), this Article shows that the largest drivers of complexity are …

A Tale Of Two Countries: Comparing The Law Of Inheritance In Two Seemingly Opposite Systems, Ray D. Madoff

Ray D. Madoff

Although at first glance French and U.S. inheritance laws appear to be diametrically opposed, this paper provides a deeper analysis. In doing so, it explains that nuances within both systems have made the laws more similar than they initially appear. U.S. inheritance laws, explicitly characterized by freedom of testation, include numerous substantive limits on how a testator may dispose of her property at death. Courts often use doctrines such as mental capacity, undue influence, and fraud to void wills that do not provide for the decedent’s children. Also, because over one half of all Americans die intestate, or without a …

A Case Study Of The Hybrid Model For Facilitating Cross-Border Legal Practice: The Agreement Between The American Bar Association And The Brussels Bars, Laurel S. Terry

Laurel S. Terry

This Article will focus on the agreement (“Agreement”) between the American Bar Association (“ABA”) and the French and Dutch Orders of the Brussels Bar (“Brussels Bars”). Section I of this Article provides an overview of the different models used, or approaches to, cross-border practice and places the Agreement in context. Section II chronicles the legislative history of the Agreement, noting the process by which it was developed. Section III contains the analysis of the Agreement, comparing it to other cross-border practice regulation. Section IV addresses the implementation of the Agreement. Finally, Section V offers a summary of the strengths and …

From Gats To Apec: The Impact Of Trade Agreements On Legal Services, Laurel S. Terry, Laurel S. Terry

Laurel S. Terry

This article provides a comprehensive overview of the treatment of legal services in the United States‘ international trade agreements. Although many individuals are now familiar with the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), far fewer realize that legal services are included in at least fifteen international trade agreements to which the United States is a party. This article begins by identifying those trade agreements and other developments including the 2009 Legal Services Initiative of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). The article continues by explaining the structure of the GATS and comparing its provisions to the provisions found in …

Transnational Legal Practice Developments, Carole Silver, Robert E. Lutz, Philip T. Von Mehren, Laurel S. Terry, Peter Ehrenhaft, Clifford J. Hendel, Jonathan Goldsmith, Masahiro Shimojo

Laurel S. Terry

No abstract provided.

Transnational Legal Practice: Cross-Border Legal Services: 2002 Year-In-Review, Carole Silver, Robert E. Lutz, Philip T. Von Mehren, Laurel S. Terry, Peter Ehrenhaft

Laurel S. Terry

No abstract provided.

Bioethics And Self-Governance: The Lessons Of The Universal Declaration On Bioethics And Human Rights, O. Carter Snead

O. Carter Snead

The following article analyzes the process of conception, elaboration, and adoption of the Universal Declaration of Bioethics and Human Rights, and reflects on the lessons it might hold for public bioethics on the international level. The author was involved in the process at a variety of levels: he provided advice to the IBC on behalf of the President's Council of Bioethics; he served as the U.S. representative to UNESCO's Intergovernmental Bioethics Committee; and led the U.S. Delegation in the multilateral negotiation of Government experts that culminated in the adoption of the declaration in its final form. The author is currently …

Protecting Vulnerable Environments In International Humanitarian Law, Michaela Halpern

Michaela S. Halpern

Canada's Position On A Multilateral Judgments Convention, Janet Walker

Janet Walker

This article outlines the key concerns for Canadians in the prospective Hague Multilateral Judgments Convention.

Restitution In Private International Law, By G. Panagopoulos, Janet Walker

Janet Walker

This is a book review of Restitution in Private International Law by George Panagopoulos.

A Parade Of Reforms: The European Commission's Latest Proposal For Isds, Gus Van Harten

Gus Van Harten

The European Commission's most recent proposal for ISDS reflects a move away from essentially fake reforms to something potentially more meaningful. However, it is insufficient to satisfy the criteria of independence, fairness, openness, subsidiarity, and balance and does not appear reliable until backed by clear language and a negotiating red line for the proposed Canada-Europe CETA and any other agreement providing for ISDS.

The European Commission's Push To Consolidate And Expand Isds: An Assessment Of The Proposed Canada-Europe Ceta And Europe-Singapore Fta, Gus Van Harten

Gus Van Harten

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the European Commission’s approach to investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) in the proposed CETA with Canada and FTA with Singapore. The text on ISDS in both agreements is evaluated according to general criteria of independence, fairness, openness, and balance. The main conclusion reached is that there is no significant difference between the CETA and FTA when it comes to ISDS. With the qualified exception of the criterion of openness, both agreements fall well short of satisfying the criteria. As such, neither agreement offers a significant improvement on the U.S. model of ISDS and, …

Notes On The German Economy And Energy Ministry's Proposal For Reformed Investor-State Dispute Settlement (Isds), Gus Van Harten

Gus Van Harten

These notes provide a general reaction to a proposal by the German economy and energy ministry for ISDS in a treaty between Europe and the U.S. Overall, the proposal takes only a minority of the steps needed to make ISDS independent, fair, open, subsidiary, and balanced. I suggest that the appropriate approach remains to reject ISDS in new treaties (especially among Western developed countries). The proposal would be a good starting point for replacing ISDS in existing treaties with developing or transition countries – but that is clearly not its purpose.

The Intelligibility Of Extralegal State Action: A General Lesson For Debates On Public Emergencies And Legality, François Tanguay-Renaud

François Tanguay-Renaud

Some legal theorists deny that states can conceivably act extralegally in the sense of acting contrary to domestic law. This position finds its most robust articulation in the writings of Hans Kelsen and has more recently been taken up by David Dyzenhaus in the context of his work on emergencies and legality. This paper seeks to demystify their arguments and ultimately contend that we can intelligibly speak of the state as a legal wrongdoer or a legally unauthorized actor.

Interpreting Intervention, Craig Scott

Craig M. Scott

The present article, written in May 2001, discusses the significance for the doctrine of humanitarian intervention of the normative signaling practices that transpired throughout the 1990s with respect to the use of military force outside of explicit authorization by UN Security Council resolutions. The first part of the article analyses the sociological and legal-theoretical dimensions of the relationship between interpretation of Security Council resolutions and the interpretive evolution of the UN Charter. Iraq and Kosovo then provide the focus for contextualizing the analysis. The article ends with an account of the interplay of the powers of the General Assembly and …

A Memorial For Bosnia: Framework Of Legal Arguments Concerning The Lawfulness Of The Maintenance Of The United Nations Security Council Arms Embargo On Bosnia And Herzegovina, Craig M. Scott, Francis Chang, Peter Copeland, Jasminka Kalajdzic

Craig M. Scott

No abstract provided.

The Third World, International Law, And The "Post-9/11 Era": An Introduction, Obiora Chinedu Okafor

Obiora Chinedu Okafor

No abstract provided.

Poverty, Agency And Resistance In The Future Of International Law: An African Perspective, Obiora Chinedu Okafor

Obiora Chinedu Okafor

This article enquires into the likely posture of future international law with respect to African peoples. It does so by focusing on three of the most important issues that have defined, and are likely to continue to define, international law’s engagement with Africans. These are: the grinding poverty in which most Africans live, the question of agency in their historical search for dignity, and the extent to which these African peoples can effectively resist externally imposed frameworks and measures that have negative effects on their social, economic and political experience. International law’s future posture in these respects is considered through …

Newness, Imperialism, And International Legal Reform In Our Time: A Twail Perspective, Obiora Chinedu Okafor

Obiora Chinedu Okafor

No abstract provided.

The Bearded Bandit, The Outlaw Cop, And The Naked Emperor: Towards A North-South (De)Construction Of The Texts And Contexts Of International Law's (Dis)Engagement With Terrorism, Ikechi Mgbeoji

Ikechi Mgbeoji

For over one hundred years, the definition of the term "terrorism" has been subjected to political propaganda. In addition, dubious self-righteous indignation or outrage, often expressed by various states or prominent politicians at the occurrence of acts of terror have often masked the participation of those same states in international terrorism. In this endless cycle of finger pointing, accusations, denials, and counter-accusations, the problematic of what constitutes terror in legal parlance has degenerated into an exercise in name-calling. This sad spectacle frustrates objective and sincere attempts at fashioning out legal and policy framework to deal with the scourge of terrorism. …

The Van Ert Methodology Of Domestic Reception, Jamie Cameron

Jamie Cameron

A review of Gibran van Ert's book: Using International Law in Canadian Courts. This review approaches the author's methodology of domestic reception from a constitutionalist's perspective.

Incorporating The Third Party Beneficiary Principle In Natural Resource Contracts, James T. Gathii

James T Gathii

No abstract provided.