Law Commons^™

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.

Post Colonial Cosmopolitanism: Making Place For Nationalism, Rahul Roa, Robert Howse, Alice Maclachlan, François Tanguay-Renaud

François Tanguay-Renaud

Rahul Rao, School of Oriental & African Studies, University of London, expresses a number of dissatisfactions with the debate between cosmopolitanism and communitarianism in international normative theory.

Respondents: Robert Howse, New York University; Alice MacLachlan, York University, Philosophy.

Rethinking Criminal Law Theory: New Canadian Perspectives In The Philosophy Of Domestic, Transnational, And International Criminal Law, François Tanguay-Renaud, James Stribopoulos

François Tanguay-Renaud

In the last two decades, the philosophy of criminal law has undergone a vibrant revival in Canada. The adoption of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms has given the Supreme Court of Canada unprecedented latitude to engage with principles of legal, moral, and political philosophy when elaborating its criminal law jurisprudence. Canadian scholars have followed suit by paying increased attention to the philosophical foundations of domestic criminal law. Because of Canada's leadership in international criminal law, both at the level of the International Criminal Court and of specific war crimes tribunals, they have also begun to turn their attention to …

The Legitimacy Of International Human Rights, Samantha Besson, Sophia Reibetanz Moreau, François Tanguay-Renaud

François Tanguay-Renaud

Samantha Besson, Professor of Public International Law and European Law and Co-Director of the European Law Institute, Université de Fribourg, speaks about international human rights law and the philosophy of international law.

Respondent: Sophia Reibetanz Moreau, University of Toronto

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.

International Criminal Law And The Inner Morality Of Law, Larry May, Margaret Martin, Craig Scott

Craig M. Scott

Larry May, W. Alton Jones Professor of Philosophy and Professor Law Vanderbilt University, investigates what Fuller called “procedural natural law” in contemporary international criminal law.

Respondent: Margaret Martin, University of Western Ontario

Between Normative Idealism And National Interest: The Structure And Process Of Oppression In Un Non/Intervention In African Civil Strife, Obiora Okafor

Obiora Chinedu Okafor

No abstract provided.

The Concept Of Legitimate Governance In The Contemporary International System, Obiora Okafor

Obiora Chinedu Okafor

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.

Is There A Legitimacy Deficit In International Legal Scholarship And Practice?, Obiora 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 Status And Effect Of The Right To Development In Contemporary International Law: Towards A South-North Entente, Obiora Okafor

Obiora Chinedu Okafor

No abstract provided.

After Matyrdom: International Law, Sub-State Groups, And The Construction Of Legitimate Statehood In Africa, Obiora Okafor

Obiora Chinedu Okafor

No abstract provided.

The Global Process Of Legitimation And The Legitimacy Of Global Governance, Obiora 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.

Empiricism And International Law: Insights For Investment Treaty Dispute Resolution, Susan Franck

Susan D. Franck

While scholars in the United States increasingly focus on the empirical dimension of legal scholarship, there have been challenges in using empiricism to explore international legal issues. Rather than relying on logic or instinct alone, empirical methodologies can provide scholars with tools to gain new facts, see existing ideas through a different lens, and engage in a more nuanced analysis of international law phenomena. There appears to be a natural synergy between empiricism and international investment treaty dispute resolution. With calls for trade time outs by U.S. presidential candidates, there is interest in how investment treaties function, whether they achieve …

The Icsid Effect? Considering Potential Variations In Arbitration Awards, Susan Franck

Susan D. Franck

The legitimacy of the World Bank's dispute resolution body - The International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) - is a matter of heated debate. Some states have alleged that ICSID is biased, withdrawn from the ICSID Convention, and advocated creating alternative arbitration systems. Using pre-2007 archival data of the population of then- known arbitration awards, this Article quantitatively assesses whether ICSID arbitration awards were substantially different from arbitration awards rendered in other forums. The Article examines variation in the amounts claimed and outcomes reached to evaluate indicators of bias. The results indicated that there was no reliable …

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

James T Gathii

No abstract provided.

Combating Acid Violence In Bangladesh, India, And Cambodia, Sital Kalantry, Jocelyn Getgen Kestenbaum

Sital Kalantry

This Report is the first comprehensive, comparative study of acid violence that examines the underlying causes, its consequences, and the multiple barriers to justice for its victims. Acid attacks, like other forms of violence against women, are not random or natural phenomena. Rather, they are social phenomena deeply embedded in a gender order that has historically privileged patriarchal control over women and justified the use of violence to “keep women in their places.” Through an in-depth study of three countries, the authors of the Report argue that the due diligence standard can be a powerful tool for state and non-state …

Enhancing Enforcement Of Economic, Social, And Cultural Rights Using Indicators: A Focus On The Right To Education In The Icescr, Sital Kalantry, Jocelyn E. Getgen, Steven A. Koh

Sital Kalantry

Nearly fifteen years ago, Audrey Chapman emphasized the importance of ascertaining violations of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) as a means to enhance its enforcement. Today, this violations approach is even more salient given the recent adoption of the Optional Protocol to the ICESCR. This article focuses on the right to education in the ICESCR to illustrate how indicators can be employed to ascertain treaty compliance and violations. Indicators are important to enforcing economic, social, and cultural rights because they assist in measuring progressive realization. The methodology that we propose calls for: 1) analyzing the …

Enhancing Enforcement Of Economic, Social And Cultural Rights Using Indicators: A Focus On The Right To Education In The Icescr, Sital Kalantry, Joycelyn E. Getgen, Steven Arrigg Koh

Sital Kalantry

Nearly fifteen years ago, Audrey R. Chapman emphasized the importance of ascertaining violations of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) as a means to enhance its enforcement. Today, the violations approach is even more salient given the recent adoption of the ICESCR’s Optional Protocol, a powerful tool to hold States parties accountable for violations. Indicators are essential tools for assessing violations of economic, social and cultural rights (ESCRs) because they are often the best way to measure progressive realization. Proposed guidelines on using indicators give guidance on the content of States parties reports to treaty monitoring …