Law Commons^™

The Paradoxes Of National Self-Determination, Brian Slattery

Brian Slattery

Some have argued that the right of national self-determination gives every national group the power to decide for itself whether to remain part of an existing state or to secede unilaterally and form its own state. Such a theory underpins the claim that Quebec is entitled to decide on its own whether or not to leave Canada. This paper examines the main philosophical arguments for the theory and finds them one-dimensional and inadequate; they fail to take account of the full range of complex issues arising in actual cases of proposed secession. If the right of national self-determination is understood …

Our Mongrel Selves: Pluralism, Identity And The Nation, Brian Slattery

Brian Slattery

French Claims In North America, 1500-59, Brian Slattery

Brian Slattery

This article reviews the history of early French explorations in North America in their diplomatic context and concludes that, contrary to common assumptions, there is little reliable evidence that France laid official claim to North American territories prior to 1560 or that it viewed these territories as territorium nullius or denied the capacity and rights of Indigenous American peoples.