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Full-Text Articles in Legal History
The Alien Tort Statute And The Law Of Nations, Bradford R. Clark, Anthony J. Bellia
The Alien Tort Statute And The Law Of Nations, Bradford R. Clark, Anthony J. Bellia
Journal Articles
Courts and scholars have struggled to identify the original meaning of the Alien Tort Statute (ATS). As enacted in 1789, the ATS provided "[t]hat the district courts...shall...have cognizance...of all causes where an alien sues for tort only in violation of the law of nations or a treaty of the United States." The statute was rarely invoked for almost two centuries. In the 1980s, lower federal courts began reading the statute expansively to allow foreign citizens to sue other foreign citizens for all violations of modern customary international law that occurred outside the United States. In 2004, the Supreme Court took …
The Nobel Effect, Roger P. Alford
The Nobel Effect, Roger P. Alford
Journal Articles
For the first time in scholarly literature, this article traces the history of modern international law from the perspective of the constructivist theory of international relations. Constructivism is one of the leadings schools of thought in international relations today. This theory posits that state preferences emerge from social construction and that state interests are evolving rather than fixed. Constructivism further argues that international norms have a life cycle composed of three stages: norm emergence, norm acceptance (or "norm cascades"), and norm internalization. As such, constructivism treats international law as a dynamic process in which "norm entrepreneurs" interact with state actors …
Some Legal Aspects Of American Sovereignty, Clarence Emmett Manion
Some Legal Aspects Of American Sovereignty, Clarence Emmett Manion
Journal Articles
The advocates of a post-war world security organization are squarely up against the question of "sovereignty." Those who have specifically criticized the suggestion have done so for the reason that it does not go far enough to accomplish its purpose. They contend that the word "sovereign" should be lifted out of all such proposals for the reason that its inclusion will neutralize the effectiveness and destroy the continuity of the proposed association. If through the instrumentality of a treaty, or an executive agreement made pursuant to a joint Congressional resolution or otherwise, the United States government may suddenly take on …