Human Rights Law Commons^™

Occupation Failures And The Legality Of Armed Conflict: The Case Of Iraqi Cultural Property, Mary Ellen O'Connell

The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law Working Paper Series

US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld dismissed the looting of the Iraqi National Museum in April 2003 by remarking, “stuff happens.” In doing so, he gave an early indication that in planning to invade Iraq, the Bush Administration failed to take seriously the legal obligations of an occupying power. Occupying powers have a variety of binding legal obligations, including obligations to stop looting, protect cultural property, and protect persons in detention. Yet, the Administration sent a wholly inadequate force to fulfill those obligations, and, more seriously, the force received no direct and imperative orders to do so. As a result, …

Justice In The Palestine-Israel Conflict, John B. Quigley

The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law Working Paper Series

Military-territorial conflicts are typically addressed by the international community on the basis of considerations of justice, meaning relevant standards accepted by the community of states for conduct among states and peoples. If such standards are followed, resulting agreements stand a greater chance of providing for a lasting peace. In the conflict over historic Palestine, considerations of justice have had to compete with considerations of major-power policy, from early twentieth century to the present. When negotiations re-commence, the international community should ensure that they be conducted with considerations of justice at the forefront. If that approach is taken, in particular regarding …

Providing Access To Generic Antiretroviral Drugs To People Living With Hiv/Aids In Developing Countries: An Examination Of Legal Obligations, Cheluchi Onyemelukwe

LLM Theses

The HIV/AIDS epidemic is a devastating medical, social and economic problem in many developing countries. Presently, the only therapeutic remedies for the disease are antiretroviral drugs, which do not cure HIV/AIDS but are effective in restoring the health of people living with HIV/AIDS. Unfortunately, these drugs are unavailable to many people living with the disease in developing countries. This has been attributed to the exorbitant prices resulting from the patent rights of multinational pharmaceutical companies over the drugs. Legal literature has therefore focused principally on intellectual property rights as obstacles to access to antiretroviral drugs in developing countries. This thesis, …

“Ua Koe Ke Kuleana O Na Kanaka” (Reserving The Rights Of Native Tenants): Integrating Kuleana Rights And Land Trust Priorities In Hawai`I, Jocelyn B. Garovoy

ExpressO

No abstract provided.

The Forgotten Story Of The Mizrachi Jews: Will The Jews Of The Middle East Ever Be Compensated For Their Expulsion From The Arab World?, Joseph D. Zargari

Buffalo Public Interest Law Journal

No abstract provided.

The Truth Between Reparation And Reconciliation: The Pretoria–Nairobi Axis, Ali A. Mazrui

Buffalo Human Rights Law Review

No abstract provided.

Translating International And Regional Trafficking Norms Into Domestic Reality: A Hong Kong Case Study, Robyn Emerton

Buffalo Human Rights Law Review

No abstract provided.

Katerina Dalacoura, Engagement Of Coercion? Weighing Western Human Rights Policies Toawards Turkey, Iran And Egypt, Susan M. Cimini

Buffalo Human Rights Law Review

No abstract provided.

A Case Study In The Banning Of Political Parties: The Pan-Arab Movement El Ard And The Israeli Supreme Court, Ron Harris

ExpressO

Attempts to outlaw political groups that are alleged to approve the use of violence, to limit the expression of views that challenge the core values of democratic nation-states, and to ban radical, separatist, or religious political parties are more widespread in recent years than at any other time since 1945. They gave rise in the last few years to litigation in Constitutional Courts and Supreme Courts in Spain, Germany, Turkey, France, Israel, and Latvia, as well as in the European courts.

The present article tells the story of the encounter in the years 1959-1965 between the Pan-Arab national movement El …

The Rise Of Managerial Judging In International Criminal Law, Maximo Langer

ExpressO

Abstract This article puts the procedure of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in a completely new and previously unexplored light. Rejecting the predominant view of ICTY procedure as a hybrid between the adversarial system of the U.S. and the inquisitorial system of civil law jurisdictions, this article shows that ICTY procedure is best described through a third procedural model that does not fit in either of the two traditional systems. This third procedural model is close to the managerial judging system that has been adopted in U.S. civil procedure. The article then explores some of the …

International Legal Compliance: Surveying The Discipline, William C. Bradford

ExpressO

No abstract provided.

Evaluating Work: Enforcing Occupational Safety And Health Standards In The United States, Canada And Sweden, Daniel B. Klaff

ExpressO

The United States’ occupational safety and health enforcement system is breaking down. Klaff argues that much of this breakdown has to do with a fundamental lack of worker participation in the United States’ safety and health system. Klaff makes his case by comparing and contrasting the history and enforcement schemes of the United States, Canada, and Sweden. After arguing for economic rights as human rights, Klaff concludes by offering a set of recommendations for the United States’ occupational safety and health system based upon his value-centered analysis.

Inadequate Housing, Israel, And The Bedouin Of The Negev, Tawfiq S. Rangwala

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

This article examines Israel's treatment of its Arab Bedouin citizens living in the Negev desert through the lens of the international human right to adequate housing. The Negev Bedouin, an agrarian indigenous community, is the most socially, politically and economically disadvantaged segment of the Arab minority in Israel. Their precarious situation is rooted primarily in Israeli land planning pursuits that have ignored Bedouin land claims in favor of settlement programs reserved exclusively for the majority population. This article documents the manner in which the overarching legal and political character of the state has led to the development of a legislative, …

From A State-Centered Approach To Transnational Openness: Adapting The Hague Convention With Contemporary Human Rights Standards As Codified In The Convention Of The Rights Of The Child, Allison M. Scott

Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies

No abstract provided.

Using "Norms" To Change International Law: Un Human Rights Laws Sneaking In Through The Back Door, Troy A. Rule

Faculty Publications

For decades, multinational businesses have self-regulated their operations with respect to human rights, largely unfettered by international law. In recent years, however, human rights groups have advocated that the United Nations (“UN”) create clear legal obligations for multinationals respecting their human rights-related conduct. At least partly due to the substantial burden such obligations could place on international businesses, these efforts by human rights proponents have proven largely fruitless--until now.On August 13, 2003, the UN Sub-commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights adopted the Norms on the Responsibilities of Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises with Regard to Human …

Democratic Responses To Terrorism: A Comparative Study Of The United States, Israel And India, Arunabha Bhoumik

ExpressO

This paper compares counter-terrorist policies in the United States, Israel and India through the lens of three models of counter-terrorist policies: the war model, the intelligence model, and the criminal justice model. After describing each model, the paper introduces different variables that are relevant in understanding a country’s counter-terrorist policies. Using these variables, the paper attempts to analyze and classify each country’s counter-terrorist policies.

“Which One Of You Did It?” Criminal Liability For “Causing Or Allowing” The Death Of A Child, Lissa Griffin

ExpressO

No abstract provided.

The Right To Family Life And Civil Marriage Under International Law And Its Implementation In The State Of Israel, Yuval Merin

ExpressO

The article deals with the protection of the right to family life under international law and its implementation in the State of Israel on three levels: protection of the family cell as a single unit; protection of the individuals comprising the family unit; and protection of the family in special circumstances (e.g., immigration rights).

The article begins by analyzing the characteristics of the right to family life and examining various definitions of the “family” under international and Israeli law. It also examines what it is that the right to family life encompasses and how it should be classified within the …

From The Nuremberg Charter To The Rome Statute: Defining The Elements Of Crimes Against Humanity, Mohamed Elewa Badar

San Diego International Law Journal

The purpose of this study is to examine the past and present contours of the prohibition of "crimes against humanity", analyzing and scrutinizing the essential elements of this crime, with a view to obtaining and drawing together basic criteria that could eventually guide the adjudication of this offence. Furthermore, this clarification of "crimes against humanity" is particularly timely with respect to the soon functioning International Criminal Court (ICC).

Human Development Challenges In Africa: A Rights-Based Approach, Dejo Olowu

San Diego International Law Journal

This paper examines this plethora of questions and attempts to move the theory of human development in Africa beyond the traditional confines of its macroeconomic and political propositions. The paper assesses the concept of human development within the broader discourse on the role of human rights in global development, highlighting the overall African context of the subject. Against the backdrop of remarkably increasing scholarly efforts aimed at establishing human development as a human rights question, this paper evaluates the capacity of existing and emerging human rights frameworks relevant to Africa, and identifies viable trajectories for result-oriented human development actions.

Profitable Proposals: Explaining And Addressing The Mail-Order Bride Industry Through International Human Rights Law, Vanessa Brocato

San Diego International Law Journal

This Article looks at the MOBI in the United States through the lens of international human rights. Part II will describe the MOBI. Part III will evaluate the MOBI within an international human rights framework. Part IV will examine current U.S. legislation relating to the MOBI. Part V suggests strategies for addressing the MOBI. Nations will not be able to solve the problem independently because the MOBI is a transnational phenomenon. Conducting a critique of marriage brokers in a human rights context can help place problems caused by the MOBI at the forefront of international debate. Applying current human rights …

Human Rights Approaches Of Corruption Control Mechanisms - Enhancing The Hong Kong Experience Of Corruption Prevention Strategies, C. Raj Kumar

San Diego International Law Journal

This Article is intended to make a case for promoting transparency in governance policies from a human rights perspective so as to argue for the development of a human right to good governance in Hong Kong. Secondly, it analyzes the work of the Independent Commission against Corruption (ICAC) in Hong Kong and addresses certain concerns in improving the efficiency of the ICAC. Thirdly, it argues that rights against corruption in Hong Kong should move beyond a law enforcement and public policy issue and attain the status of a human right. Fourthly, this Article examines the growth and development of international …

Soldiers Of Semipalatinsk: Seeking A Theory And Forum For Legal Remedy, Anne Miers Kammer

San Diego International Law Journal

This Comment will address the unique dilemma of individuals in Kazakhstan whose health has been compromised by the former Soviet Union's 40-year period of nuclear testing on what is now Kazakhstan soil. The principal legal analysis of this Comment will focus on the availability of remedies (in the form of monetary damages available through legal resolution) to the citizens and/or state of Kazakhstan, and potential judicial forums in which to seek those remedies. Particular attention will be paid to the comparative likelihood of successful remedial legal action if pursued by a private class of Kazakhstan citizens versus action pursued by …

Hong Kong Right Of Abode: Ng Siu Tung & (And) Others V. Director Of Immigration - Constitutional And Human Rights At The Mercy Of China, Teresa Martin

San Diego International Law Journal

This Comment argues that the Court's refusal to sidestep the Standing Committee's reinterpretation using either the Doctrine of Legitimate Expectation, or the judgments previously rendered clause in the Basic Law, signifies its capitulation to the Standing Committee, and its inability to protect constitutional rights and/or human rights in Hong Kong. This Comment will first give a brief background on the concept of one country, two systems and the drafting of the basic law. Second, it will introduce the Right of Abode cases, and explain the constitutional crisis of 1999. Third, it analyzes Ng Siu Tung & Others v. Director of …

International Child Abductions: The Challenges Facing America , Charles F. Hall

ExpressO

International child abductors often escape domestic law enforcement and disappear without consequence or resolution. International child abductions occur too frequently; in the United States alone, the number of children abducted abroad every year has risen to over 1,000. Currently, 11,000 American children live abroad with their abductors. These abductions occur despite international treaties and the Congressional resolutions that have significantly stiffened the penalties for those caught. Effectively combating international child abductions requires drafting resolutions that are acceptable across the diverse societies and cultures of the international community. Without such resolutions to fill the gaps of current treaties this problem will …

Reverse Moderate Relativism Applied: Third Generation International Human Rights From An Islamic Perspective, Jason G. Morgan-Foster

ExpressO

This article develops my reverse moderate relativist theory on the universality of human rights, which I proposed in an article forthcoming in the ILSA J. Intl. & Comp. L. In this prior work, I argued that the debate over the universality of international human rights norms is too constrained, and that the three most popular theories in the universality debate – universalism, strict cultural relativism, and moderate cultural relativism – are each conceptually flawed. Universalism is untenable, because it eliminates the tensions between various cultures simply by ignoring them. Strict cultural relativism is unsatisfactory, because it discredits the whole field …

Human Rights Treaty Drafting Through The Lens Of Mental Disability: The Proposed International Convention On Protection And Promotion Of The Rights And Dignity Of Persons With Disabilities, Aaron A. Dhir

Cornell Law School Inter-University Graduate Student Conference Papers

In this piece I explore whether, if established, the proposed International Convention on Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities will be an effective way to limit abuses of the rights of persons diagnosed with mental disabilities. In Section I, I discuss the failure of international human rights law to effectively address these abuses to date. In Section II, I consider the debate surrounding the need for a disability-specific Convention. In Section III, I argue that in order for the proposed Convention to be effective, and not simply a hollow mechanism, it must reject the …

Assisted Reproduction In Germany And The United States: An Essay In Comparative Law And Bioethics , John A. Robertson

ExpressO

No abstract provided.

Lysistrata, Women And War: International Law's Treatment Of Women In Conflict And Post-Conflict Situations, Emma L. Lindsay

ExpressO

Aristophanes’ Lysistrata is powerful anti-war play often revived during times of international conflict. This paper uses Lysistrata to highlight and critique binary oppositions that underpin the treatment of women in conflict and post-conflict situations in the play and in international law. While many of the experiences of women and girls in war are similar to those of men and boys, there are important differences. Existing inequalities between women and men, and patterns of discrimination against women and girls, tend to be exacerbated in wartime. There are circumstances in which women suffer harms of a different kind and to a different …

A Positive Theory Of Universal Jurisdiction, Eugene Kontorovich

ExpressO

Academic discussions of universal jurisdiction (“UJ”) have been almost entirely normative, focusing on what UJ “should” be in an ideal world. This Article breaks with the normative approach and analyzes UJ from a positive perspective, drawing on historical evidence and rational choice models to understand what UJ has in fact been and what it can be.

Piracy was for centuries the only UJ offense. This Article begins by isolating the characteristics of piracy that made it uniquely suitable for UJ. While these characteristics show why UJ over piracy would cause fewer problems than UJ over other crimes, they still fail …